The Prophecy - Legolas Edition
by Annielle
Summary: Legolas is the elven champion described in a prophecy about the rebirth of elven heroes that will unite the people of Middle Earth and help them defeat Sauron. The Legolas version you had been waiting for! Legolas/OC
1. Chapter 1 - Two Paths

_**The Prophecy - Legolas Edition **_**by Annielle**

This story is an alternate universe of _**The Prophecy**_. As I was writing Children of the Prophecy, I had ideas and flashes of what the story would have been if Legolas had been the main character of the story. Many readers expressed their interest in seeing a different version, with slightly different characters and different events, and I think you will enjoy this new version.

It is not necessary to read _**The Prophecy **_to follow the Legolas Edition. Although you might want to read it if you wish to see the Haldir version if you have not read already...

**Summary**: Legolas is the elven champion described in a prophecy about the rebirth of elven heroes that will unite the people of Middle Earth and help them defeat Sauron. The Legolas version you had been waiting for! Legolas/Valerie, Thranduil, Elladan, Elrohir, Haldir, Galadriel, Celeborn, Elrond, Mithrandir, Glorfindel and a cast of original characters

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Lord of the Rings and any of its characters.

**Warnings: **Alternate Universe, some content not suitable for minors.

* * *

**Chapter 1 – Two Paths**

_When the fiery storm and the elven champion meet,_

_the Halls of Mandos will release the fëar of the great_

_Scholar, minstrel, warrior, new blood in the elven lines_

_Reborn kings, twin, warden, hope in dark times_

_For in Men the Eldar must have faith_

_And unite to accomplish a glorious feat_

_before they sail to the Undying Lands_

Lady Galadriel was watching the surface of the silvery water in her basin, reflecting her image like a mirror, and she repeated the words of the prophecy over and over again, bringing herself in a light trance. Finally, the water became blurry, and images after images started running on the surface, showing her two completely different destinies side by side. She had difficulty following both scenarios as they were developing before her attentive eyes, but kept her gaze on the basin until the water became calm and silver again, reflecting once more her delicate features and long golden hair.

Two decades before this day, Mithrandir, known as Gandalf by the non-elven people of Middle Earth, had found in the library of Minas Tirith an old parchment that had been written during the second age. It described events to come, a prophecy whose accomplishment would bring hope to the elves. All beings that fought on the side of the light were in dire need of hope, with the dark rising once more in the East. Sauron's evil spirit was back, he had built a new army of orcs in Mordor, with the Great Eye ever searching for his ring. One by one, all realms would fall under his attacks, unless Men and Elves united in order to defeat him once and for all by destroying his ring and the creatures that served him.

The Lady of Light closed her eyes and grabbed the sides of the basin, breathing deeply to recover her usual calm demeanor. Finally! Finally the Valar had allowed her to see the meaning of the prophecy! For many years, she had thought the fiery storm was literally a storm of fire that an elven champion would have to survive. But the year before, she had briefly seen images of a red-haired mortal woman, and had understood that the prophecy was about a woman and an elven champion who would have children together. And today, she had completely seen what the prophecy truly meant. The woman was not in Middle Earth but lived in an entirely different world. As for the elven champion, she had debated numerous times with her mate Celeborn and their son-in-law Elrond about his identity. There were only three warriors that could be considered the champion of an elven realm: Glorfindel of Gondolin, Lord of the Golden Flower for Imladris, Haldir Finalfinion, Marchwarden of Lothlorien and Prince Legolas Thranduilion of Greenwood. But today, she only had seen two scenarios. Only two champions were truly a possibility. Each of them could accomplish the prophecy with the mortal woman.

Celeborn, Elrond and Galadriel had long debated how to approach this issue in the past year, and had decided that the three warriors should be informed about their potential destiny. These revelations had been postponed until they had found the elleth that would be the mother of the reborn elves. And now, Galadriel had just realized that the elleth in question was in fact a mortal woman, living in a different world, and who would become half-elven and immortal when she was brought to Middle Earth. Which rose an entirely different and unexpected question: how would they bring this woman in Middle Earth? All these years, they had been talking about the future father of the elflings, without realizing that finding his identity was probably the simplest part of their task.

Galadriel left her private garden where her mirror was located and walked to the bottom of the greatest Mallorn tree of Lothlorien. Lost in her thoughts, she climbed the stairs that were encircling the tree trunk until she reached the upper flet where the royal talan was situated. The guards at the front door bowed deeply when they saw their lady approach her talan, and so did the servants as she made her way to the private dining room. She heard Celeborn, Elrond and Mithrandir discuss how to approach Prince Legolas with the description of his possible destiny, since he lived with his father Thranduil in the caves of Greenwood, now called Mirkwood by the mortals. The Wood Elves were living in their forest, rarely gathering with the rest of their kin in Lothlorien, Imladris and the Grey Havens. In fact, it had been at least two years since there had been no communications between Greenwood and the rest of the world.

"We have much more important things to discuss, my friends," she told them, sitting beside her husband. "The Valar finally showed me who the elleth is." She noted with satisfaction the dumbstruck expressions of the males sitting around the table. She thanked a servant who brought her a bowl of vegetable soup and a freshly baked piece of bread.

Celeborn recovered first. "Finally!" he exclaimed. "Why the grim expression?" he asked his mate, realizing that she was not as happy as the visions in her mirror should have made her. She had been longing to see this elleth for twenty years!

"She lives in another world," Galadriel replied.

"Which world?" Mithrandir asked with interest. Galadriel found his question strange. He did seem surprised that she was not in Middle Earth, but once the shock had been absorbed, he was interested to know where she lived exactly, as if he just knew what to do once she disclosed that essential information to him.

"Why would it matter?" Elrond asked the wizard. "The fact that she is not in Middle Earth makes this prophecy improbable! It was just an old parchment with meaningless words..."

"And what if it was not? Do you think the Istari wizards have never traveled to other worlds?" Mithrandir asked with impatience. "Which world is it, my Lady?"

"A place called Earth. Only men live in that world. There are no elves, no wizards, no orcs - "

"I am fairly familiar with this world, my Lady," Mithrandir replied. "I have had the pleasure of going there twice in my life."

"And why were we never informed of this?" Celeborn asked.

"Because until today, there was no need for you to know," the wizard replied with confidence and haughtiness. "I went there for Valar business, which I cannot tell you about, as I am sure you will understand. The positive side of this," he continued, to make sure the elven lords and lady would soon forget the fact that he had had some unknown missions before, "is that I have the capability of creating portals, in which I can send people in this world and bring them back here with a few incantations."

"You can bring this woman here?" Elrond asked to confirm that this unforeseen difficulty was easily fixable by the Istar.

"Yes, yes." Mithrandir sat back on his chair and took out his pipe, enjoying the Old Toby weed he had bought in the Shire a few weeks before. "Now back to our prior conversation. Did the mirror show you who the father of the elflings will be?" he asked the Lady of Light.

It had indeed. The mortal woman had unparallelled strength of character and open-mindedness that would have her break many elven traditions, whichever path she would take. She would have a very active role in the unification of the elven folks, and would be an ambassador for her realm, a warrior, the mother of the largest elven family in the entire history of Middle Earth.

The first path, the one in which Prince Legolas was binding with her, was leading the woman towards the creation of links with mortal realms. She would spend most of her life in Greenwood, in the caverns of King Thranduil. She would turn upside down the disciplined and selfless warrior life of the prince and give him the desire to fight the darkness with even greater determination that he currently was. She would also change King Thranduil, the ever mysterious and withdrawn Elvenking.

She had seen the second path better, her eyes having been naturally more drawn to the path that would be closest to herself. She had seen Haldir's life if he was the one who was going into her world and bringing her back to Lothlorien. In this path, the woman would create links with Imladris mostly. The love between Haldir and her would be passionate and without compromise. She would challenge his natural authority as Marchwarden and test his patience numerous times, having legendary fights with him, but in the end, their love would always triumph. Galadriel absolutely wanted that second path to take place. She wanted this woman to live in Lothlorien and was interested in guiding her in her many endeavors. She would be like a daughter to her. Galadriel dearly missed her daughter Celebrian who had sailed to the Undying Lands many centuries before, and her heart was enchanted with the possibility of being close to another female living under her tutelage.

"It showed me two possible paths," Galadriel finally told the wizard. "It is either Haldir, our Marchwarden, or Prince Legolas. Sorry, Elrond, the elflings will not be reborn in Imladris."

"That is a shame!" the lord mumbled. How he would have liked to witness the accomplishment of this prophecy as a main player! He had already pictured Glorfindel as the patriarch of a great family and himself involved in their lives with his own children, Elladan, Elrohir, Arwen and his adopted son Estel, known as Aragorn.

"Both paths will end up having the same effect – the elves will unite to fight the evil rising in the East. I have foreseen young elflings, although I was not able to identify them. It was as if the Valar wanted their identity to remain secret until their birth. The woman, who will become half-elven when she arrives in Middle Earth, can be happy with both ellyn. At this point, it is a question of which champion will cooperate better with us in order to start the prophecy. Haldir is a warrior, extremely dedicated to his duty, and he appreciates his celibacy and the freedom it gives him. On the other hand, Prince Legolas lives with his father Thranduil, who has a well-known dislike for change and anything that does not meet his high standards. The king would be none too pleased to know that his only son and heir would bind with a half-elven elleth that comes from a different world. Prince Legolas is also the captain of the Greenwood forces, and spends most of his time protecting his realm with his warriors. He too, will be upset by the idea of becoming a father."

"If they are the only ellyn chosen by the Valar, then both must be approached with this nonetheless," Celeborn decided. "Haldir is in Caras Galadhon for another few days, before going to the borders for two months. I will speak to him tomorrow morning, and let you know what his reaction was."

"Be convincing, Celeborn," Galadriel whispered to her mate. "I absolutely want this elleth to live in our realm. Haldir must be the one going in her world."

Elrond, who had heard her comment, nodded to his father-in-law. If he could not participate in the prophecy in Imladris, seeing the woman in Lothlorien was better than nothing. Sending her to Greenwood would make them lose control on the accomplishment of the prophecy.

Still smoking his pipe, Mithrandir knew exactly what the three elven leaders were thinking. They wanted the woman and the elflings for themselves. Their intentions were good and honorable, but they would probably try to coax the Marchwarden into compliance with their desire...

OoOoO

"You cannot be serious, my Lord! How could I be the ellon of this prophecy? I am Marchwarden of Lothlorien, I do not have the time nor do I have the inclination to start a family! The attacks of Sauron's beasts are increasing in frequency at our borders, and my wardens are exhausted! The protection and security of Lothlorien and its inhabitants should and will remain my first priority. I am respectfully declining your proposal."

Haldir was vehemently defending his position, and Celeborn could only admit that his arguments were solid.

"Through the ages, many great warriors had children, Haldir," Galadriel said, entering the throne room where her mate and the Marchwarden were discussing Haldir's potential role in the prophecy. She had sensed through their bond that her mate was miserably failing in his mission to convince Haldir to accept his role. "You would not be the only one nor the last. Even your own adar – _father_ – had three sons while he was Marchwarden..."

"As far as I can tell, the concerned champion and his mate would have at least seven children. I am not aware of any great warrior that had such a large family."

"You are right," the Lady of Light admitted. "But I want to reassure you that the Valar believe it can be done, and with great success, I might add. I have seen it. You would be a great father, Haldir."

"Who is the elleth?" Haldir asked, frowning. He realized that the Lord and Lady of Lothlorien would insist to discuss this further. He wondered if they would force him into this path against his will, and if he really had a choice in the matter.

"She is not an elleth per se," Celeborn said. "She would become half-elven when she arrives."

"What is she then if she is not an elf? And she would arrive from where?"

"She is a mortal living in a different world," Galadriel said, waiting to see the effect of her words on her captain. "You would have to go to her world and convince her to follow you here to bind with you and accomplish the prophecy."

Haldir's expression would have been comical if she could not read in his mind his consternation and outright refusal to even consider the idea. He was appalled to think he might have to bind with a mortal. In Middle Earth, very little mortal woman kept their beauty beyond their twentieth birthday. They lived harsh lives and their health was quickly destroyed by numerous pregnancies and various diseases for which there were no cures.

"She is extremely beautiful for a mortal, Haldir. As far as I can see, she already has three children from a previous union - "

"She is already bound?" he asked, shocked.

"She is not bound to a man."

"Haldir, the accomplishment of the prophecy would bring so much hope to the elves all over Middle Earth," Celeborn reminded him. "I have heard you discuss this with your brothers in the past – how the wardens would need a new hope in order to continue their valiant fight against Sauron's forces. You would be key to this prophecy. You would bring hope to the elven people. You must think about it, Haldir."

"I am sorry, my Lord, my Lady. I understand your point of view. But you need to understand mine. I cannot accept this. I cannot willingly do this! Can I be honest with you?"

"Haldir, you have been our Marchwarden for centuries and have always spoken freely with us."

"Pardon my bluntness, but I would only go to this world if... if it is a direct order. Only then would I do my duty and try to bring her back and... try to live with this mortal," he finished, his tone barely hiding his distaste.

Galadriel and Celeborn looked at each other, and Haldir wondered if they were communicating through their bond and deciding if they would force him to accept this destiny he dreaded most painfully.

"We need to go to Greenwood to visit King Thranduil," Lord Celeborn told his Marchwarden. "We will leave in five days. Please make sure we will have an escort. You will be coming with us."

"My warriors will be ready to protect you during your journey," Haldir replied. "What is your decision about... the matter of the prophecy?"

"We will take a decision later, Haldir," Galadriel replied. "It is an important decision, we must consult with more people. Thank you," she dismissed him a little coldly.

When he was gone, Celeborn turned to his mate. "I am not surprised by his reaction. He is in shock. I am sure he will come around and show more interest in the near future. He will think about it, you will see!"

"I do hope he will see reason before we reach Greenwood. Should we tell him and Prince Legolas that they both are possible options?"

"If the prince reacts like Haldir, we might find ourselves with two ellyn expecting that the other will sacrifice himself."

"This is no sacrifice!" she insisted. "Please, my love, use the proper words to ensure we do not alienate them! Whoever crosses the portal to join her will come back a happy ellon with a fëa-mate and an extraordinary future. They should fight for this opportunity, not fight to avoid it!"

"You are right, as usual, Galadriel. Should we ask Elrond and Mithrandir to accompany us to Greenwood?"

"Mithrandir for sure, for he will have to open the portal for Haldir or Prince Legolas. Elrond's presence is not absolutely required."

"He will be disappointed, my love. You know how he has been studying this prophecy with us. He was already disappointed to hear last night that Glorfindel is not the champion."

"I know. But Thranduil has been maintaining very little communications with Imladris and Lothlorien in the past centuries. If we arrive the four of us, he will think it a conspiracy against his realm and against his heir in particular. Believe me, we should ask Elrond to remain in Lothlorien or go back to Imladris. He can be present when she arrives in Middle Earth, and he will have to be content with that."

OoOoO

Legolas was listening to the report one of his scouts was giving him while a healer-warrior was taking care of the wound on his arm. They had encountered a band of orcs earlier that day, and had taken care of them quickly but not without some pain. Many warriors had been injured, thankfully none too seriously, and Legolas, as was his habit, was the last one receiving the care of the healer-warrior. He listened closely to the report, trying to ignore the fact that the healer was about to put alcohol directly on his wound to clean it.

The scout could not hide his admiration when he saw his captain did not even wince when the healer poured down alcohol on his open wound. Prince Legolas was known as the best archer that ever had been born in Middle Earth, but what few people knew about were his surprising strength and outstanding endurance. The healer started to do stitches while the scout was finishing his report.

"Why would Lothlorien send a delegation to Mirkwood?" the prince asked out loud, but the question was more for himself. He knew the scout would have no idea. "They must know that the darkness is moving North with every passing year, and that we can no longer guarantee the safety of the Old Forest Road." The road that was crossing Greenwood, nowadays called Mirkwood, was going from West to East, cutting in two the woods between the Elvenking's realm in the north and the zone that had fallen to darkness at the south of the road. Even the mortals of Lake-town, the city of Men located eastern of his father's realm, were now rarely taking this road. When they did, they asked the Elvenking for the protection of his warriors, a safety they were paying with generous amounts of goods and money.

Creatures had taken residence in Dol Guldur, Sauron's ancient fortress in the southern part of Greenwood, and they seemed to be multiplying like vermin. The elves had seen more spiders and orcs in the past year than they had seen in the past century. The spiders had grown in size and in cleverness. Fortunately, the orcs had remained the same dumb brutes they had always been. Every year, more creatures were coming north of the road, and many small elven colonies had disappeared, their people either sailing to Valinor or moving to King Thranduil's fortress in the caves near the Forest River. The forest was just too large and the population of Greenwood could not afford to keep watch over such a vast territory. There were around 300 elves living in the kingdom. There were a few counselors, almost 250 warriors and less than fifty ellith. Most ellyn had forced their mates to sail to Valinor in the past decades, which explained the uneven number of males and females in the realm. Furthermore, there had been no elfling born in Greenwood in the past century. No elf could bear the thought of bringing into this world innocent souls who could be slaughtered by Sauron's forces before they reached their majority.

Legolas listened to the sounds of the forest around him. It was complete silence. No innocent animal still lived in that part of the woods. They all had moved to the northern part of the forest, closer to his realm or even northern of the caves. Legolas heard the familiar sounds of the whistles his warriors used to communicate while they were on watch.

"Lieutenant Hadron is on his way," the scout commented.

"Yes. You are dismissed," Legolas told the scout who bowed respectfully before jumping down the flet.

"I am almost done, Captain," the warrior-healer told him. While Legolas was on duty, his warriors were calling him Captain instead of Prince, and he liked it this way. He wanted to be recognized for his warrior deeds rather than for being the only heir of the Elvenking.

Legolas realized that his arm was now bandaged, and that the pain had greatly diminished. Hadron climbed on the flet at that moment and ceremoniously nodded to his captain.

"My lord, there is a large group of elven warriors that have successfully crossed the forest and are now safely on the eastern part of the forest."

"A scout already told me, Hadron. They are wearing the uniform of the Lothlorien wardens."

"What the scout probably did not tell you is that Mithrandir is with them, along with Lord Celeborn and his lady."

"Lady Galadriel and Lord Celeborn are traveling to our caves?" Legolas repeated, bewildered.

"So it would seem. I have met them two centuries ago when your father traveled to Lothlorien. I recognized them."

"Why would they be coming here?" Legolas wondered. There had been no contacts between his realm and the other elven realms for the longest time. The high elven races, the Noldor and Sindarin elves who lived in Imladris, Lindon and Lothlorien, had always looked with contempt at the more common Silvan elves who lived in Greenwood.

"I know not, Captain," Hadron added. "I cannot imagine what was so important that they would take such risks to come visit the king in person instead of sending a messenger. The High Elves have always acted as they pleased, without consideration for their security. And we are having just another proof of that today. You will see, I am sure their motives for coming to see the king are not as important as they think it is. It might even only be a courtesy visit!"

"I need to leave. If they are visiting Greenwood, I need to welcome them with my adar – _father_. I must rush back through the woods and arrive before them to warn him about their visit."

"I am done, Captain," the healer said. "I would have preferred for you to rest for a few hours, but I understand that nothing will keep you here. Just make sure that you see a healer once you get back to the fortress, to make sure your wound will not get infected."

"I will," Legolas promised, although he doubted his wound could get infected with the amount of alcohol the healer-warrior had put on it. He arranged his bow, quiver and elven blades on his back. The healer jumped down the flet, leaving Legolas and Hadron alone to discuss. "Hadron, you are in charge until I am back. Make sure that we have at least five warriors on duty at all times on each watch flet. I find the forest too quiet. I hope it does not mean that another attack is imminent."

"Thranduilion, please be cautious." Hadron had been Legolas' childhood friend and he called him with familiarity when they were alone. "I would prefer to send a few warriors with you while you go back -"

"Hadron, my naneth was killed many centuries ago, and I do not believe you are a good candidate to replace her," Legolas jested before putting his hand on his lieutenant's shoulder. "I will be back shortly. Send me a message should you need more warriors in case of an attack."

OoOoO

They were escorted by Greenwood warriors armed to the teeth, looking at them suspiciously as they led them through the path to the gate of the Elvenking's caverns. Obviously, their arrival had been foreseen and the Elvenking had sent an escort to both guide them and watch them while they traveled closer to the caves. Haldir was riding his horse right beside Lady Galadriel, protecting her from the menace he felt his Greenwood kin was.

"Relax," Mithrandir whispered to him. "They are wary to have visitors of this importance. We have not visited Thranduil for more than two centuries. They wonder what our purpose is. They will not harm us."

After another hour of silent ride, they approached the great gate of the inground fortress. Numerous warriors were waiting for them near the gate. They dismounted in the courtyard, and stable staff took care of their horses while a counselor was approaching to welcome them. He bowed respectfully and held out his hands in welcome.

"Lady Galadriel, Lord Celeborn, Mithrandir and Lord Haldir, we are honored by your visit in our realm. My name is Bronadon, and I am King Thranduil's First Counselor."

"You are following your adar's path," Lord Celeborn replied, recognizing Bronadon as the son of a former ambassador of Greenwood. "Where is your father?"

"My father sailed decades ago, my Lord. The king offered me his position, which I gratefully accepted. Although I still have much to learn before I can call myself his equal."

They were impressed by the humility of this scholar, so unlike the proud Elvenking. Maybe their future discussions would be easier, if Bronadon could cool his king's ardor.

They entered the palace and were lead through corridors with torches enlightening the otherwise dark paths. Skylights were strategically placed on the ceiling, allowing some natural light in the caves. Exquisite tapestries were hanging on the walls, both for decorative purposes and to fight the humidity of the caves.

The fortress was much larger than they had expected. The king had excavated more tunnels in the mountain since the last time they had visited the realm. They eventually arrived in front of large wooden doors, and Bronadon knocked, waiting for a reply from inside. A chamberlain opened the doors and introduced them in the throne room, where the Elvenking was sitting on his throne with his only son standing beside him in his armor. He had obviously been called from one of the borders and had arrived just before them.

Both ellyn were watching them with a cold, unreadable expression and they remained immobile until their visitors were closer to the throne. Only then did King Thranduil stand and slowly come down the few stairs to meet them in greeting while his son was following him a few feet behind.

Thranduil nodded to the visitors who in turn bowed to him. After all, Thranduil was the only crowned king that still lived in Middle Earth. Celeborn and Galadriel, Elrond and Cirdan were lords of their realm without being officially crowned.

"Galadriel!" Thranduil said gallantly, taking the lady's hand to his lips to kiss it lightly. "What a pleasure to see you again!" His eyes contradicted him, and Galadriel could read his suspicion directly in his mind.

"The pleasure is all mine," she replied, lying through her teeth. Thranduil had always been a difficult ellon, and the tragic passing of his wife had made his character more rigid and irritable.

Celeborn was greeted with more coldness, while Haldir was completely disregarded. Only for Mithrandir did the Elvenking spare some authentic courtesy. His son, although as wary as his father, showed more diplomacy and welcomed them with respect and impeccable courtesy.

"You must be tired after this long journey. Bronadon will show you to your rooms. Of course, there will be a feast in your honor tonight. Unfortunately, I have very little people in the fortress nowadays. Most of my warriors are in the forest, protecting the realm and the Old Forest Road from attacks from Dol Guldur. And most of our ellith have fled to Valinor..."

"Our population is predominantly male nowadays too," Celeborn informed him. "Many of our warriors have preferred to send their mates to the Undying Lands. Our situations are not so different, Thranduil."

"Our situations cannot compare, Celeborn. You do not have a fortress of Sauron in your forest. So far, you have been spared attacks by these humongous and vicious spiders, whose venom can either poison you or paralyze you until they feed on you. We suspect that a Nazgul is in residence in Dol Guldur, planning attacks on our realm. Only dim-witted and disorganized orc bands are attacking your borders."

"Let us not have a contest of the most desperate situation," the wizard intervened before the tension escalated to even greater heights. Celeborn and Thranduil had never gotten along, and today was obviously not the day where a friendship would suddenly flourish between them.

The wizard looked at the son of the king who was watching the exchange with a smirk. The ellon had less pride than his father, a sure indication of his half-silvan heritage. While Thranduil was a pure Sindarin elf, the queen of Greenwood had been a beautiful and joyful elleth of silvan ascendance. Their son had inherited some of her qualities, such as her curiosity and her sense of humor. He also had inherited the Silvan's renowned lethalness in combat. Prince Legolas looked innocent and simple, and could easily fool the people that didn't know him well into thinking that he was not dangerous. A mistake, when you discovered that he had inherited his adar's suspicious nature, his intelligence and his ever strategic-thinking mind.

Sensing the wizard's gaze on him, Legolas understood that Mithrandir was asking him to intervene to ensure the king would not send the entire delegation home before they had time to communicate the reason of their visit.

"I am sure Lothlorien has seen its lot of attacks, Adar, and that their wardens are almost as courageous and deadly as our own warriors," the prince said to his father, putting his hand on his shoulder to remind him to control his temper. He smiled at the Marchwarden who had perfectly understood the cutting remark that had been made about his warriors.

Haldir kept his tongue in check, even if it was difficult. How dare the silvan prince said that the Greenwood warriors were better than the Lothlorien wardens! Galadriel spoke in his mind, asking him to disregard the remarks that would be made about Lothlorien for the sake of the success of their mission.

Seeing that the Marchwarden would not take the bait, Legolas turned to Celeborn and Galadriel. "It is an honor for Greenwood to receive your visit. Although my father and I are curious about the reason behind your unexpected but welcome visit, I strongly believe that we should wait after dinner to discuss this matter of importance. Bronadon, please show our guests to their rooms, and make sure to give them all the required information about dinner tonight."

Bronadon bowed to the visitors and asked them to follow him while Thranduil watched the proceedings with annoyance. Before Bronadon could close the door behind him, the guests heard part of the hushed conversation between father and son.

"How dare they come to my fortress to shower us with their contempt and unduly pride!"

"Adar, please give them the chance to explain the reason for their presence. The rulers of Lothlorien would not have made such a journey for trivial matters..."

"You will see, they have abandoned us centuries ago, but will turn to Greenwood again for help on some of their mysterious and perilous stunts..."

Mithrandir did not hear the rest of the conversation, but he was amazed by the king's perceptiveness. Thranduil felt that they were in Greenwood to ask them to participate in some difficult task. What would be his reaction when they told him that they wanted to send his only heir to a different world to bring back a mortal woman to mate with her? He shivered. That conversation would certainly not go well.

* * *

Welcome back, dear readers! I hope you have enjoyed the beginning of the Legolas Edition. Let me know what you think of our favorite elven prince...


	2. Chapter 2 - Two Champions

**_The first chapter ended with:_**

_Mithrandir did not hear the rest of the conversation, but he was amazed by the king's perceptiveness. Thranduil felt that they were in Greenwood to ask them to participate in some difficult task. What would be his reaction when they told him that they wanted to send his only heir to a different world to bring back a mortal woman to mate with her? He shivered. That conversation would certainly not go well._

* * *

**Chapter 2 – Two champions**

Two hours later, King Thranduil and his son were waiting for their visitors in their private dining room. The First Counselor Bronadon and his mate Ninaelil were also in attendance. The four elves were wearing their dark green ceremonial garments, and Thranduil's crown was adorned with the last flowers of the season while Legolas was wearing a simple gold circlet. The king was pacing back and forth in front of the immense fireplace while Legolas was sitting at his designated place. The only sign of the tension he was feeling was the rapid tapping of his fingers on the table. Bronadon was used to the displays of stress that the king and his son only showed to their closest companions, but his wife Ninaelil dearly wished she was elsewhere. The elleth was in charge of the king's household and the presence of such renowned visitors was creating additional chores to ensure they would be received properly, as their status required. She would have preferred to be planning the meals, housekeeping and entertainment of the guests instead of attending this formal dinner that promised to be anything but informal and friendly. Her husband had warned her that the chances of this dinner finishing in a peaceful manner were small to non-existent.

She fully agreed with her mate. The Elvenking had the demeanor of his worst days, when the memories of his deceased wife were tormenting him. Those days, many elves were avoiding the king, and only his son could interact with him. No one in Greenwood blamed him. Centuries ago, his wife had gone to Lake-town to buy fabrics and other trinkets, and her escort had been attacked by orcs. No one had survived. The orcs had dismembered the bodies and placed the elven heads on pikes along the way between the caves and the city on the lake. Gathering the dismembered bodies of the queen, her ladies and the warriors who had been outnumbered had been the most horrifying task the elves of Greenwood had ever accomplished, and that day, King Thranduil had become a cold-hearted ellon. In the following months, most ellith living in Greenwood were sent to the Grey Havens to sail to Valinor, with only a courageous few remaining to stay with their mates and become the support system of a land that had become a realm of Spartan warriors.

Ninaelil wished she could sail to the Undying Lands as her naneth – _mother_ – and sister had done centuries before. The call of the sea was worse with each passing year, assailing her fëa – _soul_ – many times a day, making it difficult to concentrate on complicated tasks. She could imagine the calming sounds of the waves, the taste of the salt on her lips, the piercing cries of the gulls flying high in the cloudy sky... Oh, to see the ocean as far as the eye could see! Bronadon was also feeling the call, but his loyalty to his king was limitless. Her mate would never let King Thranduil down. There was no one to replace him as counselor. The Silvan elves were renowned for producing deadly warriors, but scholars could be counted on the fingers of one hand. None of the others could replace him anytime soon.

A guard opened the door and announced the arrival of their guests. The king and Legolas immediately put on amenable expressions, hiding their tension skillfully in front of strangers. Thranduil walked to Galadriel and offered her his arm while inquiring if she was satisfied with her room. He led her to her seat between himself and Legolas, Mithrandir and Celeborn sat near Bronadon while Haldir, who was wearing his Marchwarden uniform, elected to sit right beside Ninaelil. She realized he was a strong and impressive swordsman, but as a loyal servant of the Woodland realm, she considered that Prince Legolas was the greatest archer and that he was unbeatable with his twin blades. She turned her attention back to the king. Thranduil and Legolas were discussing with the Lady of Light while Bronadon was conversing with Lord Celeborn and the wizard. It left her no choice but to entertain the Lothlorien Marchwarden. She turned to her left and asked Haldir about his sister-in-law Nellethiel, and was pleased to hear that she was now a healer of great talent. The conversation eventually moved on to her friend Alassë, who was a very close friend of Haldir. Alassë had been born in Greenwood and had moved to Lothlorien two centuries before. Haldir gave her news of the elleth and an uncomfortable silence fell between them. There was very little in common between a housekeeper and a Marchwarden, and she was searching in vain for a subject that would interest him. She decided to ask him about the orc attacks in Lothlorien, and he started describing the frequency and severity of these attacks while she politely listened, being careful not to yawn or let her thoughts stray to the duties she would need to perform the next day.

They ate the first two courses while Haldir was still passionately talking about the Lothlorien wardens. Their one-way conversation was interrupted when the king's voice suddenly boomed in the dining room. "Lady Galadriel, you cannot be serious!"

"Prince Legolas is one of the possible champions. The Valar have allowed me to see this in my mirror."

Haldir's attention left the nice elleth sitting beside him and he listened to the conversation at the other end of the table. His lady had never told him there was another possible champion! He had always been under the impression that he was the only ellon who could accomplish this ancient prophecy. And now, he was hearing that the prince was also a possible champion? Were there other ellyn who could mate with this mortal woman?

"Find another ellon! My son will be no puppet in your hands!"

"There are only two champions, Thranduil," Mithrandir intervened. "And neither would be a puppet in our hands. This is a great destiny we are talking about. It is no curse to avoid at all costs!"

"How can marrying a mortal woman be anything but a curse?" Thranduil asked, bewildered and insulted that his son was being approached for this task. Without a doubt, the Noldorin lady and her Sindarin mate had chosen his son because he was a Silvan elf. No Noldo or Sinda would ever accept to bind with a mortal. It was too distasteful. He briefly thought of the rumors he had heard about Elrond's daughter being in love with a mortal ranger, but dismissed it quickly. After all, Elrond's line was considered half-elven since their descendants could choose between mortality and immortality. But none of this for his son!

"You are wrong, Thranduil," Galadriel said, reading his mind. "Haldir is the second possible champion, and he is a Sinda."

The king turned his glare in the direction of the Marchwarden and studied him in silence. Haldir held his gaze seriously but could not quite hide his relief that he might be spared this awful destiny. The king grinned sarcastically and turned back to the Lady of Light. "It seems that your Marchwarden would like to avoid this incredible destiny at all costs too!"

Haldir could not agree more with him, but did not like being spoken about as if he was absent. Would his lord and lady be annoyed if he spoke his mind in front of the king? Galadriel nodded to him, and he decided to speak freely. "You are right, your Majesty. I have not yet accepted this destiny, although I am being told what an incredible opportunity it is. It is... too unexpected."

"Unexpected? You are a real diplomat, Marchwarden! You should give your sword back to Celeborn and become a Lothlorien ambassador!" Thranduil replied with irony. "Unexpected!" he repeated with disbelief, looking at his only son who was thoughtfully listening the conversation.

"Whichever champion will accept this will be honored by the Valar and live a great destiny. There was never any consideration relating to the Sindarin or Silvan origin of the champions. We are merely facing the reluctance of warriors who do not wish to face the unknown," Galadriel said with conviction. "Going to a different world, having a mate and a family..."

"My son will not be your champion!" Thranduil replied icily.

"Adar, may I have a word in private?" Legolas asked. He stood and bowed to their guests. "Please excuse us, and do not wait for us to finish your dinner. We should be back shortly." He eyed his father meaningfully and Thranduil stood stiffly, wondering what his son wanted to talk to him about. He followed Legolas to his private office, still fuming about the outrageous demand of the Lothlorien rulers.

Legolas closed the door behind them and attacked immediately.

"Father, I am as appalled as you are with the idea of mating with a mortal. But we must think about this in a strategic way. If this prophecy is right and that many elven kings will be reborn, would you not want them to be reborn here, in our realm? It would increase tenfold the importance that we have in Middle Earth."

"I do not wish for this importance! We have managed the threats of Dol Guldur alone, without the help of our kind. We do not need them, and they do not need us."

"But Adar, this could change. We could become the leaders! You rule the only realm unprotected by a ring of power. We could have the prophecy elflings! You might be a Sinda yourself, but us Silvans have always been treated as inferior elves by the Noldorin and Sindarin elves of the other realms. We never had renowned scholars and minstrels... This is our chance of proving that we can be as good as they are, Ada!"

"Legolas, you are my only son! I love you! I will never push you into an arranged marriage, with a mortal to make matters worse. You deserve to be bonded to your true fëa-mate and live happy like your naneth made me happy."

"This is what I am intending to do! But let me ask more questions, to assess the advantages our realm could gain with this!"

"This is too dangerous! Going in a different world!"

"Let me get as much help as I can from Mithrandir and Lady Galadriel. I am not fooling myself, this world will be completely different from ours, and I will need some help to adapt. And I will make you this promise: if I go in this other world, meet her and realize she is not worthy, I will come back here and then... either the Marchwarden goes under the orders of Lord Celeborn, or the prophecy will never be accomplished."

Thranduil observed his son for a long time. His outright refusal had probably been a mistake in light of Legolas' arguments. He trusted his son's judgment and knew that this mortal woman would never set foot in his realm if she was not worthy of becoming Legolas' mate and the princess of the realm by the same token.

"You know I trust you, ion nin - _my son_. I have always trusted you, and I will not stop today."

Legolas smiled. "Thank you, Father. Tomorrow morning, I will speak with Lady Galadriel, ask for as much information as I can, and then I will seek your final counsel on the matter. We will make this decision together. For the good of our realm."

OoOoO

Galadriel was sitting on a bench underneath an immense tree in the courtyard in front of the fortress, observing the preparations of a group of warriors who were leaving for guard duty in the forest. Prince Legolas was with them, having a word with each ellon and joking with them. They were armed to the teeth and were carrying food that the elves could not hunt or pick in the forest. Legolas had also given a message for his lieutenant Hadron, who would be wondering why he had not joined the group of warriors. The soldiers bowed to their captain and waved to their friends while the few that still had their mate in Greenwood kissed them goodbye. The unit would be gone for more than a month, and in a few days some other warriors would arrive back home for a well deserved rest of two weeks before leaving again to guard the forest.

Life in Greenwood was not quiet and pleasant like in Imladris, Galadriel realized. It had much changed in the last century. Only the Lothlorien wardens could begin to understand how difficult this life was, and it was obvious that their lives were easier than these warriors', since Lorien was protected by the ring of power she was wearing. She felt guilty to have turned her eyes away while the situation of Greenwood was deteriorating. But again, would Thranduil have accepted her help?

Legolas watched his warriors leave the security of the wall in front of the fortress, and slowly made his way to her, deciding to take advantage of her solitude to discuss the matter of the mortal woman in private. He sat beside her and politely asked her if she had had a restful night. She answered simply and waited for him to finally ask the questions that she could read in his mind.

He hesitated between many questions, but finally settled for an open one, letting Galadriel lead the subject. "Tell me everything you know about her, my Lady."

Galadriel laughed quietly. "The Valar only gave me access to images of her life for a few days before we traveled here, pushed by the emergency of choosing the champion. I have seen some of her past, her present, and the two paths that could be her future, depending if she mates with you or with Haldir."

"What if neither of us wants to make the journey?"

"One of you will, Legolas. Either by free choice in your case, or by free choice or by my orders in Haldir's case. And whoever will go to her world will bind with her, and quite happily at that if I may add, and he will never regret his decision. So, where do you want me to start, my Prince?"

"What is her name? How old is she? What does she look like? What does she do in life?"

Galadriel started laughing again. "I will try to answer all your questions. Her name is Valerie Thompson. She lives in a world that is completely different from ours. It would be very difficult for me to explain half the things I have seen in my mirror because I simply do not understand them."

"How different is her world?"

"Nature is mostly the same, there are trees, flowers, animals and birds. The differences come from how the people live. If anything, this world is in advance as compared to Middle Earth. They have means of transportation that are astounding. They even have large metal carriages that fly like birds, and I cannot understand how they can accomplish that without the help of magic. Also, they live much more comfortably than the mortals here. These humans have created inventions to fix the problems we have in our world. Mortals there live longer, are healthier and more educated. As compared to them, Rohan and Gondor are at the dawn of their history."

"Am I to understand that I will have difficulty adapting to this world if I go there?" he asked, realizing it might not be easy for him to blend in the crowds if his senses were bombarded by unknown things and places.

"Yes, you will. I am glad to hear that you are not going to throw yourself in this adventure without a minimum of preparation to succeed. I know Haldir, if he decides to go, will certainly not take as many precautions."

"Your Marchwarden is still considering the option? Of his own free will?"

"All options are still possible at this point, my Prince. I know what you are thinking. Having the prophecy children would be beneficial for any realm, whether it is Lothlorien or Greenwood. We both agree on this. Very few people realize that, except us both and Lord Elrond. He is deeply disappointed that Glorfindel is not a possible champion for the accomplishment of the prophecy. He would have loved to have this family in his realm."

"And Greenwood has yet to decide if we will accept," Legolas mentioned, revealing by the same token that the decision would be made by both his father and himself.

"Then we are at the same point. Lothlorien's champion has not made a decision yet either."

"Tell me more about her."

"Her profession is difficult to understand. From what I can tell, she creates little books with lots of drawings and texts for women. This is very strange! Women buy these little books regularly, and seem to enjoy reading them very much."

"Poetry books or books for scholars?"

"Neither! From what I can tell, it is purely for entertainment. She has many people working for her, she seems to be known in many circles and is very successful and prosperous. She is traveling a lot and it is difficult for the children."

"Which children?"

"Her children! Did I forget to mention she has three children?"

"Yes, you did forget! Why would you send your Marchwarden or myself to bring back a married woman?"

"She is not bonded."

"Is she a widow?"

"I do not believe so. Not with what I have seen of her past."

"Things are just getting better!" Legolas cried with irony. "Where is the father of these children?"

"I quickly searched in her past and there were some... lovers in her life. They never had an important role. I am not sure which one of them is the father of the children or as a matter of fact, if they all have the same father."

Legolas suddenly jumped to his feet and started pacing. "This is unbelievable! You want one of us to bind with some... mortal whore!"

"Watch your language, young ellon!" Galadriel said, standing up too and glaring at him. "I have watched her many times in my mirror since the first time I have seen her. You cannot compare her life with the lives that mortals are living here. In her world, people bind and break their bond at will. People live together for years and have children outside marriage. Valerie Thompson is a hard working woman, recognized for her accomplishments, living a difficult and stressful life. You have no idea the treasure that she is, and Haldir and you should consider yourselves lucky for the opportunity to mate with such an extraordinary woman! I would request that you use a respectful language when you speak of her."

Legolas sat back down on the bench and put his head in his hands. Really, Lady Galadriel must be out of her mind! Suggesting to bring back a woman from a different world with different customs, a mortal that could never be worthy of being the princess of his realm, a human he would never be able to love. Women who had had three children in Middle Earth were no more than ruined versions of their former selves. It was something to fall in love with a woman, but falling in love with an unattractive, old mortal, that just seemed impossible to him.

"She is not unattractive and old!" the Lady of Light protested, proving once again that her mind-reading capabilities were quite astounding. "Life in her world is much easier, and women age much slower than in Rohan or in Gondor. The first thing you must learn is to stop calling her a mortal. The Valar would not be cruel to the point where they would allow you to bind with a woman, only to see her die a few years later and follow her in death through fading because of your bond. This is a prophecy, not a curse!"

"What do you mean?"

"She will stop aging and become immortal when she is brought here by one of the champions."

"And what about her children? Are they to come here too?"

"It is up to the ellon who will bind with her to decide. Although, as a naneth, I strongly recommend not separating a mother from her children."

"Would they remain mortal?"

"I have not seen anything in my mirror that tells me about the fate of her children. I know not if they will come here or remain in her world. In fact, I have seen none of the reborn elves either."

"Another fact to consider then," he sighed. "What are the other things I need to know in order to make an informed decision?"

"She is not unattractive like you suspect. In fact, she is breathtakingly beautiful." Her tone was cold and slightly offended, as if his earlier remarks had insulted a person close to her heart.

"Please describe her to me. We might not have the same taste in women," he said with a smirk, and his teasing comment immediately calmed her down.

"The fiery storm is a perfect description for her. She has a strong character, she is courageous and tough in adversity. Her children and her work are everything for her. Her parents and brother are not very close to her, as far as I can tell, but she does have a sister that she likes very much. She seems very intelligent and dedicated. I do not believe you can find a better elleth to help your adar and yourself rule Greenwood."

"You avoid describing her physically. Are you attempting to hide something?"

"Absolutely not. She looks very different than any elleth you have ever seen."

"She looks strange?"

"I never said she looks strange! I said that she is beautiful, but different from an elleth. She is tall, curvier than the average elleth, and has the most beautiful smile and piercing emerald green eyes. Her hair is long and curly, it has a rich dark auburn color with very red highlights under the sunlight. As opposed to some mortals with red hair you might have seen before, her skin is not pale with freckles. Her skin is of a golden tone without imperfections. If you bring her back here, be ready to have at your side a mate that will draw attention. Are you up to it?"

"I think I can handle her, if what you describe is accurate."

"Both Haldir and yourself can _handle_ her, Legolas. Otherwise, you would not have been chosen by the Valar as a possible champion."

"How long do I have to think about this?"

"A few days at the most. Mithrandir needs to leave soon on a mission and he is the only one who can open the portal. Whoever leaves in a few days will have six months to convince her to bind with him and follow him back here before Mithrandir reopens the portal for the journey back."

Legolas spent the rest of the day in the library, trying to sort his thoughts and failing miserably. Despite his promise to his adar, he wanted to make the decision himself and then convince his father to agree with him. After all, he was the one who would live with the consequences of that decision. He skipped dinner to make sure he would not meet his father, and eventually walked back to his apartment late that night, confused, uncertain about this decision he had to make. As prince of the Woodland Realm, he knew he had to make sacrifices for the greater good of Middle Earth, and of Greenwood in particular. He had not been raised to avoid his duty, and had never considered doing so until that day. He had risked his life many times, had been injured so frequently that he had lost the count. But this... Binding himself for all eternity with a woman he had never met before, it seemed like a sad fate! How could he not fade if he found himself bound to a woman he did not love?

When he opened the door of his apartment, he heard in his bedroom the soft breathing of the elleth that he spent most of his nights with when he was at home. Amareth was a childhood friend who had become his lover more than 50 years before. He had great affection for her, and he knew that her feelings for him ran deeper than his. He had always been clear that he was not in love with her, and she seemed satisfied with her current position as lover. He knew she was greatly enjoying the deference of the other elves because of her close relationship with him.

He started to undress while darkly wondering if it would be better to bind himself with an unknown mortal woman that already had children, or with a childhood friend that he respected and liked enough. He threw his tunic on a nearby chair, and sat on another, putting his head between his hands, feeling the beginning of a headache. He only had a few days to make the most difficult decision of his entire life, a decision with considerable consequences for Middle Earth. He knew that the Lothlorien Marchwarden was waiting for him to make his decision first. And Legolas liked the idea that he would have the first choice. If this woman was so extraordinary, he should be the one marrying her and having her at his and his father's side to rule Greenwood.

He suddenly realized that within just a few minutes, he had both dreaded this binding and wished for it. He jerked out of his chair to start pacing in the room, inadvertently kicking the quiver that Amareth must have placed on the floor near the chair. The quiver was projected further away with a thud and the arrows scattered on the floor. He swore under his breath. He could not remember how many times he had told her not to touch his weapons, and she kept doing it!

"Legolas?" Amareth called from his bed. He had succeeded in waking her up. He picked up the arrows, knowing he would have to check the fletching in the morning to ensure there had been no damage.

That night, he made love to Amareth but was puzzled to realize that while he was with the golden blonde elleth, all he could think of was a fiery red-haired woman with green eyes.

OoOoO

"I told Legolas all the information required for him to make an enlightened decision. I can say that I have been fair to both realms, Celeborn. But I still think it would be best if Haldir was convinced to go in her world. This woman would bring so much to Lothlorien!"

"I am sorry, my love. I did everything I could. But our Marchwarden told me earlier today that he will only go if Prince Legolas refuses to accept this destiny."

"Prince Legolas is a fearless warrior, but above all else, he is an intelligent political man, like his adar. He will not refuse. I could read it in his mind, even if he doesn't realize it yet. He is intrigued by what I told him about her. She will not be out of his mind for a minute, even in his sleep."

"Then we have to rejoice that at least one of them will bring her back here and ensure that the prophecy takes place before Sauron gains even greater power. In the end, that should be our goal, wherever she ends up living."

OoOoO

Thranduil was standing beside his son, his usual impassive expression in place. Only his eyes were betraying his distress as his only child was preparing to cross the portal to an unknown world that Mithrandir was about to open. Two days before, Legolas had announced to Lady Galadriel that he was accepting her proposal. The Marchwarden of Lothlorien had given up the opportunity with barely concealed relief, hoping his lord and lady would soon forget his lack of cooperation in this matter.

Legolas had a backpack containing lembas bread, water and lots of gold coins. Lady Galadriel had pointed out that his beginnings in this different world would be much easier if he brought some items that could be exchanged for the money they were using in that world. Gold and jewelry were the only easily transportable items that were valuable in both worlds. They had agreed that he needed to spend a few weeks just getting used to their customs before he looked for Valerie Thompson, and for that, he needed financial resources to live until he found her. Legolas knew that he would probably not succeed if he just showed up at her doorstep to bring her back to Middle Earth.

"It is time," Mithrandir finally said. Thranduil gave him a panicked look but regained control shortly after, giving his backpack to his son. Mithrandir recited the incantation and the portal suddenly opened in the middle of the courtyard. It looked like a thin veil of water vertically suspended above the ground, and Legolas curiously touched it with his fingers, expecting it to feel wet on his fingertips. Sensing the portal wasn't wet nor painful, he turned back to his father and hugged him in front of the witnesses.

Of course, Lady Galadriel and Lord Celeborn were in attendance, along with Haldir and his wardens. Bronadon and his wife Ninaelil, Amareth and many of Legolas' warriors were standing in a corner, watching their prince getting ready to leave Middle Earth. The warriors were wondering why their captain was leaving on a mission for the wizard. Legolas had refused to communicate the reason behind his departure, in case he came back without Valerie Thompson. After all, he had promised his father he would not bring her back if he had not fallen in love with her. Thranduil had been adamant that Legolas should not sacrifice his love life for the sake of Greenwood. The Elvenking was convinced that Sauron could be defeated without a change in Legolas' marital status.

Amareth on the other hand, had been advised by Legolas that he would be gone for half a year, and that he preferred to break their relationship to give her the opportunity to be with another ellon. She had resolutely declined his offer, and after many hours of questioning, he had finally admitted to his current lover the purpose of his mission: finding a wife for himself, a mortal woman that would have reborn elves from him. That conversation had not gone well to say the least, but it had not changed anything to the end result: he had still put an end to their affair. Convinced his quest was going to fail, she had sworn that she would wait for him and take back her place in his life when he came back empty-handed. She did not think that he would not be able to seduce a mortal! Legolas was by far the most popular of bachelors in Middle Earth. But she refused to contemplate the possibility that he would fall in love with this mortal. He did not even realize it, but his standards were the highest possible, and she knew that most ellith did not even raise a tiny bit of interest in him. Even herself, a renowned beauty in her realm, had never succeeded in getting more than his bed favours. How could an ugly mortal succeed were she had not?

Amareth blew a kiss in Legolas' direction, smiling enticingly after, making sure he knew she was not afraid of his mission. He smiled politely, deeply annoyed by her attitude and catching his father's eyes at the same time. Thranduil had always warned Legolas that Amareth would eventually become a problem, and Legolas was only realizing it today. Once more, he admitted to himself that his adar had been rarely wrong in the past centuries.

"I will see you soon, Ada," Legolas whispered to his father, trying to keep their last conversation private. "Do not worry for me, I have faced much greater danger."

"You have no idea what kind of danger awaits you there. You could face unknown perils for which you will be unprepared..."

"Women and children live there. It cannot be very dangerous. Mithrandir said the region she lives in is relatively peaceful. And worry not, I will keep your advice in mind."

Thranduil nodded. He had asked Legolas to carefully evaluate if this woman was really worth becoming a princess of the Woodland Realm. He doubted Legolas could fall in love with any woman, even if she seemed mysterious and exotic to his foreign eyes. Their realm needed more than the laying hen the prophecy described, it required a strong hand to help rule Greenwood and build bridges with the other realms, something both Legolas and him had failed to do in the past centuries. He doubted such a woman existed, but he had to admit there was a flicker of hope in his heart as he watched his son about to disappear in the portal.

Legolas nodded to the people he knew around him, secured his back pack, quiver and his twin blades, took his bow and nocked an arrow, making sure to be ready to shoot any threatening beings he would find on the other side of the portal.

Behind Lady Galadriel and Lord Celeborn was standing the Lothlorien Marchwarden. Haldir kept his expression neutral, but deep inside, he was relieved to see the prince of Greenwood cross the portal. Haldir was fully dedicated to the protection of Lothlorien and did not think he would have been able to have such a large family to take care of while his responsibilities were already numerous and dangerous. He knew the Lady of Light had been disappointed and he also knew she would not easily forget, but he was ready to wait many decades before getting her forgiveness.

Legolas gave one last look to his father before entering the portal, bow first, then his head. He quickly looked around to ensure there were no threats at the other end. In this foreign world, it was night, a full moon high in the sky. The other side of the portal seemed to be in the middle of a small forest, very near an inhabited area. He could see lights, big houses, but no mortal was in sight. Knowing he was not in immediate danger and that in fact, his arrival would be unnoticed, he completely crossed the portal, and a few seconds later, it disappeared behind him. That was it. Whether he liked it or not, he was now in this world for half a year, unable to communicate or get help from anyone he knew.

* * *

I was soooo happy to see the positive reviews my latest story is getting! Please let me know what you think of this second chapter!

I would like to thank KrystylSky, Aureleis, Hirilnin, iloooveinuyasha1, Dorothea Blackmoor, Aranel Mereneth, Glorelwen, Angel, breneke87, Peridot Eyez, kaydub, Fi, Alice, carmynsorena and ccgnme for their support.

PurpleOrchid: Legolas won't remain a cold elf for long... In the next chapter, he will meet Valerie and he will change drastically...

Glory Bee: I am planning to include Haldir in the story, although he will remain a secondary character. I will make sure he gets is happy ending...

Paperlanterns86 and Cleopatraa: I already wrote a Glorfindel story, called The Nazgul Slayer. You can find it in my profile. The main character is OC, but Glorfindel is the main LOTR character.

Faye50free: You can't even begin to imagine how Valerie will be creating chaos in Thranduil's life. But he will also give her a run for her money!

Daenerys of Lorien: Haldir is also my favorite character. I have a lot of inspiration for this Legolas edition, but I am not sure what I will be writing after this story.

MGO: I hope you liked Thranduil's reaction when he heard about the prophecy!


	3. Chapter 3 - Adaptation period

Many thanks to the readers who have left a review on the previous chapter. I am so glad to see that you appreciate my new story: Morwen80, Peridot Eyez, Daenerys of Lorien, Glorelwen, Paperlanterns86, purpleXorchid, jubes-zcg, Glory Bee, SleepyHollow 5, KrystylSky, KKK3, ccgnme, Dorothea Blackmoor, iloooveinuyasha1, carmysorena, Cleopatraa, faye50free, Blood in Poison, Aureleis, breneke87, KurandRobgirl, Fi, Angel, Abbyforth, Hirilnin, Estel undomiel.

Many noticed the changes in Valerie's life and career. You will see more of these changes in this chapter.

Some are worried that Legolas is only accepting this role because he feels it is his duty. Do not worry! He will quickly lose his sense of duty when he sees her for real!

And yes, Thranduil and Valerie will have some very interesting moments... You can probably imagine how Valerie will be pleased with her new father-in-law!

Without further ado... Here is the next chapter!

**_Chapter 2 ended with:_**

_Knowing he was not in immediate danger and that in fact, his arrival would be unnoticed, Legolas completely crossed the portal, and a few seconds later, it disappeared behind him. That was it. Whether he liked it or not, he was now in this world for half a year, unable to communicate or get help from anyone he knew._

**Chapter 3 – Adaptation period**

The air was slightly cold, his breath visible as he was breathing deeply, trying to calm down. It must be spring, or fall perhaps. He noticed the leaves in the trees were starting to change colors. It was fall then. The air did not smell good, as if it was not clean. He rubbed his nose, hoping he would get used to this filthy feeling. Far away, he could hear noises, strange sounds that he did not recognize. Lady Galadriel had said everything would seem alien to him, and she had been right. Just the air and the noises were difficult to endure, and he quickly climbed in a tree both to hide and find comfort in something that was common between both worlds.

He stayed in the tree for many hours, listening to the sounds far away, and learning to control his reactions when a louder one could be heard. After a while, he started drifting in a light sleep, and only woke when he heard birds chirping right before sunrise. Life started in the houses nearby. He could hear people coming out of their homes and enter some sort of metal carriages that did not need horses. These carriages were circulating on the roads at an uncommon speed, and he wondered how they could control them without hitting all the obstacles around them. He soon realized that the mortals knew exactly how to handle these carriages as he did not see any incident involving them and the trees or other carriages around. Just another thing he would need to get used to.

His stomach rumbled and he hate some fruits and lembas he had brought in his pack. He had known that he would need a few days to get used to this world before interacting with the people, and had brought food in consequence. After a few hours of observing the houses and people, he finally came down his tree and installed a little camp, well hidden in the small forest. He walked in the woods and realized that it was completely surrounding an area where a few houses were located, and that the city started all over again on the other side of the forest wall. This section of the city was hidden from the rest, the people living there enjoying some privacy and quietness the rest of the town did not benefit from. There was a big gate at the entrance of the neighborhood, and the gate was sliding open only when some carriages stopped in front of it and that the human would put something against one of the side. Strange kind of security, he thought, but effective nevertheless. If they could have the same kind at the main gate of the Greenwood fortress, it would ensure that at least no mortals would try to enter without permission. Orcs were another matter, and would certainly not be stopped by such a system.

He came back to his camp and started planning his next move. Mithrandir had accepted to improve his language skills, which he had done with a spell right before Legolas had left, but he still had no idea how to communicate with the mortals. He needed to live with them for a while, learn their language and customs before he looked for Valerie Thompson. He went through his pack and found the gold and the jewels he had brought. With this, in Middle Earth, he could have lived for a decade. Here, he had no idea how long it would last before he ran out of financial resources.

He stayed in the woods another day before he built enough courage to proceed with his plan. He left his weapons at the camp, and slowly walked to the city outside the private neighborhood. He found himself in a busy street, walking on the sidewalk where everybody else was strolling. There were many mortals walking around him, speaking quickly to each other or into small boxes they were holding against their ears. They were completely ignoring him, despite the fact that his clothing was strange and that no man had hair as long as his was. Despite Galadriel's recommendations, he still looked very different. He followed a few people around, and entered in a shop behind a woman and her young daughter. It seemed to be a huge market, inside large one-story construction. There were hundreds of people inside, and Legolas spent many hours walking in the aisles, looking at the objects that were being sold, spying on people and listening to their conversations, already picking up words here and there, thanks to Mithrandir's assistance.

In the following days, he entered in each and every shop on the main street, carefully staying far from the road to avoid the carriages that he had learned by now were called cars. At the end of the fourth day, when he followed a man that seemed richly dressed as compared to the other men he had seen, he finally entered a shop where jewelry was being sold. He took a good look around and decided to come back the following day. His food and water supplies were running low and he needed money now. He had witnessed many transactions take place in the past four days, and now that he had an idea of the value of food and clothing, and comparing it to the price of gold and jewelry, he knew what he could buy if he sold some of his gold coins.

The next day, he came back to the jewelry shop, and in a very hesitant English, showed the clerk standing behind the counter two of his gold coins. The clerk looked at him with wide eyes, and called for someone in the back of the store. An older man came to the counter and looked at Legolas with suspicious eyes.

"Where did you find those?" he asked Legolas, taking one coin in his hand and bringing it closer to his eyes. It was obviously a very old, heavy gold coin. He observed the uneven shape and the fact that there were no country name or king image on it, and this fact only raised more questions. All very old gold coins had the effigy of the king that had been ruling when the coin had been minted. Where did these coins come from?

"Where did you find those?" he inquired again, but Legolas did not understand his meaning. He looked at the man and said: "Money."

"I hope you did not steal these, young man!"

"No steal. Mine."

"You want me to buy these coins?" the jeweler asked, looking at the two coins again. Their value was probably around $2,000, just by their weight. But the young man in front of him, obviously from another country, certainly did not know that.

"I offer you $1,000."

Legolas had no idea what that amount was, but he knew human merchants. The ones that lived in Lake-town were hard negotiators. They would always bid low on their first offer. "No," he said. "More."

"$1,200."

"No."

"$1,500. That is my last offer."

Legolas nodded his acceptance, and the man went in the back, coming back with a stack of little papers he knew was the money in this world. He looked at the jeweler with his most serious look, making him uncomfortable under his gaze while the man counted the money, hesitating while depositing the last bill on the pile on the counter. When Legolas raised an eyebrow, the man added two more bills and pushed to pile towards Legolas.

"It was nice doing business with you. Come back if you find more of these."

"Yes. Will come back," Legolas promised.

Legolas walked back to his camp in the woods, proud of himself. Now, he needed to find new clothes, food and maybe lodging. After a few days in the forest, he was in dire need of a bath. He thought of an old lady that was working in the market, who was always greeting him with kindness. He had decided to ask her for help. She had been the only mortal that had been making contact with him, other than the jeweler, and she had done it in a selfless way.

He put his precious belongings in his pack and walked to the market where he saw the lady in question greeting people in the entrance.

"Hello," he said awkwardly, stopping beside her.

"Hey there! How are you today?"

"Am good. You?"

"Very good, today is pay day, and I will go see a movie with my grandchildren tonight. Life cannot get any better and - " The woman stopped when she saw the panic in his face. "Do you speak English? I have noticed you do not talk much."

"Little English. New here."

"Ha! A tourist! I knew it! Can I help you with something?"

"Lodging?"

"You are looking for a place to stay? Where have you been sleeping in the past few days?" Seeing his questioning face, she decided to stop asking questions and give him the information he was looking for. "Do you have money?"

"Yes. I have little bit money."

"Well, there is a hotel a few miles down the road, but if you do not have much money, you will run out quickly. Your other option is to find a room in a house, it is cheaper. I have a friend of mine who rents rooms in her house. Maybe she has a room available right now, and it would definitely be less expensive for you. What do you think?"

Seeing his blank face again, she took her cell phone and dialed the phone number of her friend. This poor young man would really need help in this city, she thought, and he looked trustworthy. If she could find a temporary tenant for her friend, she was killing two birds with one stone.

Legolas did not understand what the lady had said to him, but he knew she was taking care of his problem when she started using her phone to speak to someone. He could hear the voice of another lady on the line, and tried without success to follow the conversation. The pleased smile of the lady did tell him that he would get help.

"What is your name?" she asked after a moment.

"Legolas."

The lady continued talking for a little while, and thanked the person she had been speaking to.

"You are in luck, young man. She has a room available. She is living just a couple of blocks from here. Did you need a map?"

"Map?"

"A drawing with the directions."

"Yes. Directions." Finally a word he recognized. She took a piece of paper and started drawing streets and an arrow for him to follow.

"Can I do something else for you? I need to get back to work before my boss sees me speaking to you instead of greeting the other customers."

"Food?"

"You want to buy food? You are at the right place!" she said, pointing at the aisle in the left side of the building.

"Thank you," Legolas said, bowing with respect. This was the first mortal who had helped him without expecting anything in return. He would make sure to reward her later on. He went into the food aisles and bought some fruits that he recognized and left there the ones that looked too strange. He bought bread, a bottle of water in strange transparent container and a bag of cookies, a word he had learned while watching children begging their parents to buy each time he had watched families buying food. He took the most popular bag, the cookies on the bag were very dark brown and he wondered what chocolate tasted like.

He paid for his purchase and received a lot of paper in return, but he realized the numbers were different on the bills. He suddenly understood that he needed to learn about the numbering system, or else, he would run out of money quickly as people could try to take advantage of him.

He walked in the streets, following the map he had been given, and eventually arrived in front of a two-story red house with a little flower garden in the front. It would be his first time entering a true home, and he hesitated. He knew he would seem awkward once he entered. There were probably many common things in there he would not understand, even more so than in a store. All around him would be every day life object he would have no idea how to use. Even a stranger from a different country would know these, making it obvious he was coming from a strange land.

"Legolas?" asked a woman coming out of the house and calling him from the porch. She was thin and small, but held herself like she was much taller. Her eyes were sparkling with interest as she studied him. She examined his long golden hair and his strange clothing for a moment, before directing her gaze to his blue eyes, and they stared at each other for a long while. She must have liked what she read there because she invited him in next. "Come on in, young man!"

Legolas walked to the porch, climbed the five stairs and putting his bag of food in his other hand, he extended his right hand for her to shake like he had seen many people do to greet people.

"Hello Kate," he said, remembering her name.

"It is a pleasure to meet you. I understand you are a tourist looking for accommodations for a few days?"

"Many days."

"How many?"

"Many. Do not know."

"Okay. I can work with that. Where are you from? Your English is... basic, I would say."

"Greenwood." He had thought to name his realm if people asked questions, since no one would know where it was located. Hopefully, people would stop asking questions. Furthermore, he knew of no other regions in this new world, and it was better to at least say something than not say anything.

"In what country?"

"Earth."

Kate burst out laughing. "Seriously? You were born on earth?" she chuckled. "Where on earth are you coming from, Legolas?"

"Middle Earth."

"Never heard of that. Is that far?"

"Very far."

"Okay, let's keep this discussion for when your English will have improved. The rate is 30 dollars per night. If you want me to cook your meals, and I mean three delicious meals every day, you need to add 15 dollars per day."

"Yes."

"Yes, you will take the room, or yes, you will take the food and the room?"

"Food and lodging."

"Can you please give me a deposit for the week?" she asked, eying him suspiciously. Kate had already had tenants who didn't pay their rent on time, and she wanted to make sure that this strange young man had sufficient funds to stay at her place.

Legolas opened his bag and took out his money, giving her one bill that the jeweler had given him earlier. She kept waiting, her hand opened and he gave her another one, then another one.

"That will be enough," she decided. Legolas took a mental note that living with Kate for a week cost three papers marked 100. At that rate, he could stay with her a month before he needed to sell more gold coins. But he needed clothes too. He had noticed that people found his clothing strange and desperately needed to fit in the crowd better than this. He had no idea how much clothes were costing in this city, but it was obvious that a visit to the jeweler would need to be organized in much less than a month.

Kate showed him the house, the common areas, the kitchen, the room where people bathed although she called it showering. Everywhere he looked, he recognized items he had seen in the stores although he had no idea how they worked. Legolas tried to keep a straight face not to raise her suspicions. She eventually showed him his own room, a small place with some furniture and a decent bed with a flowery comforter. When she asked if it was meeting his requirements, he nodded. The accommodations were much better than the inns in Middle Earth, although he would sorely miss his apartment in the fortress. Kate left him alone to unpack. Legolas put his bag on the floor and lied on the bed, savoring this comfort for the first time in many days. He fell asleep immediately and only woke up when Kate called him for dinner. He ate his first hot meal, and liked the taste of the food. He recognized beef, carrots and potatoes, and ate the chocolate cookies he had bought for dessert. He shared them with Kate.

"I will like you, Legolas, I can tell it already," she told him with a smile.

Later that night, after having struggled to understand how the faucets worked for a few minutes, he took his very first hot shower. He would never forget that first experience.

OoOoO

Legolas had been living with Kate and her other tenants for three weeks now, and after a few difficult days in this environment, he was now completely used to the technology and he spoke an average English that allowed him to communicate with people around him. He had been able to live inconspicuously by hiding his pointy ears with his hair, which he was now wearing attached on the back of his head in a loose ponytail. Kate had helped him buy clothes that were considered classic and chic. When he had met the jeweler again to get some more cash, he had been able to negotiate better and had obtained more money than the first time around. He now knew his way around the neighborhood, he also understood the basic customs and polite behaviors and he now felt ready to look for the woman who could become his future mate.

He started by asking Kate how he could locate a former acquaintance that he suspected lived in the city. When she expressed surprise that he had not tried to contact his friend before, he told her that he wanted to surprise his friend with his knowledge of English, and Kate believed him. He had quickly discovered that mortals were easily trusting him, and that with very little effort he could made them do as he wished. They submitted to his elven charm without even realizing it. He only had to look at them straight in the eyes and speak convincingly. It worked even better with ladies.

Kate made a few searches on her computer, an object he had yet to master, and quickly found references about a Valerie Thompson, editor-in-chief of the magazine Y&S – Young & Stylish.

"It cannot be her," Kate mumbled. "I have heard this name before. You would have known if your friend was a celebrity."

"What is a magazine?" Legolas asked.

"It's a kind of book being published every month and that is targeting a specific readership."

"Readership?"

"Readers. The magazines are always for specific people. It can be fashionable women, or for men, or teenagers, or even for old ladies like me. I have a few in my room if you want to see what a magazine is."

Legolas went into Kate's room and found a few large books on her night table. There had not many pages, but they were glossy and full of pictures with very little text. He personally thought that these were not books, but he remembered that Lady Galadriel had compared Valerie's work as some sort of book creation, and he had to admit it was probably the best description someone from Middle Earth could come up with. He came back to the living room where Kate was still doing researches, and he told her that his friend Valerie did work in the industry of magazine publishing.

"Really?" Kate asked, surprised. "Maybe if I can find a picture of her, you will be able to recognize her."

She typed a few more words, and the computer screen was suddenly filled with small pictures of a red-haired woman in various circumstances. She was always smiling, wearing gorgeous, revealing dresses and was always standing with other people who were smiling as much as she was.

"Is it her?" Kate asked. She waited as he studied the woman in question. She had red hair, a dark shade of red that was flashing a lot more on the pictures where she was under the sun. She had the flawless skin and emerald eyes Lady Galadriel had spoken of. And he had to admit, she was an outstanding specimen for a mortal. No human in Middle Earth looked like this woman. On the pictures, she was sometimes with women that were more beautiful than her, tall, haughty women, but Valerie always stood out with her smile and her demeanor. She just attracted the eye. There were also many pictures of a younger Valerie, bow in hand, receiving flowers and medals. She was an archer, he realized, something Lady Galadriel had omitted to mention.

He was instantly enthralled.

"It is her!" he said, faking recognition of a long lost friend. "She changed a lot since our childhood, but I do recognize her!"

"I do not know much about her. Let's keep searching," Kate said, and proceeding to type a few more words until she found the website of Y&S, but other than seeing her name as editor-in-chief, they found very little information. Kate made further inquiries, and eventually found a website where the history of the Thompson family was described.

The father, John R. Thompson, had founded a publishing company that had quickly become a major player in many entertainment fields, from magazines to television shows. Y&S was a popular magazine owned by Thompson Publishing Corp. John Junior, his only son, was his second-in-command in the corporation. John R. Thompson also had two daughters, Dr. Allison Thompson, renowned surgeon, and Valerie Thompson, editor-in-chief of Y&S. Under her direction, the magazine had made a complete turnaround and had become the most popular magazine for young professional women. She was very well known and respected in the fashion and publishing worlds.

A few sports articles also mentioned that John Thompson's youngest daughter had been the country's junior champion in archery for many years in a row, and that he had been known for his excessive negative reactions when his daughter's performances were not absolutely impeccable. Her competitive archery career had brutally ended after she had finished in fourth place at her first Olympic games. For many weeks, the press had been talking about the pressure that some fathers were putting on their athletes daughters, such as in tennis, and John Thompson had lost a significant amount of credibility when a journalist reported the harsh words he had had for his daughter right after the competition.

"Well, your friend had a hard time with her father when she was younger, but now seems to be very successful," Kate commented. "Now let's find where she lives. She must live in the big city…"

"The big city?"

"Yes! We are in a quiet neighborhood, half-an-hour away from a much bigger town, didn't you know that?"

"I never realized the city is small." In fact, he had found it quite big as compared to towns in Middle Earth.

"Yes, it is small. She must be living in the city. In this area, we only have one neighborhood where wealthy people live. It is a gated community on the mountain, behind the small forest. There are rich people living there, none of us could afford these homes. It would be quite a coincidence if she were living close by."

Legolas didn't believe in coincidences. If the portal had been opened in the forest near the mountain, it was because Valerie Thompson was living there. He only had to find in which house.

"I cannot find that information," Kate admitted after half-an-hour. "Her address is most probably confidential. She wouldn't want people to locate her home and harass her."

"Who are you talking about?" Robert asked, entering the living room. He was one of the tenants, the only one Legolas did not really get along well with.

"Valerie Thompson, from Y&S, the magaz-"

"I know who she is! Did you know that she lives nearby? The other day, I was at the gas station, and I saw her. She was putting gas in her car, speaking in her cell phone and trying to control the three kids on the back seat of the car. That woman definitely knows how to multitask!"

"What car was she driving?" Legolas asked.

Robert, mistaking Legolas' interest for Valerie with his own interest for her car, started describing her burgundy Audi Q7 with all the extras and options that had been apparent. The only thing Legolas registered was that she was driving a burgundy truck. Since there were not that many houses in the gated community, he would be able to quickly locate the house she lived in.

That afternoon, he was able to avoid being seen by the guards when he jumped above the fences that delimited the small gated community. Walking around in the forest, he counted around 50 big houses, mansions was a better word, but he saw no burgundy truck. He hid in a tree and started waiting for the end of the afternoon, the moment when mortals were coming back from their work. Two hours later, a big yellow bus passed the gate and dropped many children in the middle of the neighborhood. Three children with red hair and big schoolbags, two boys and a girl, talked together for a few minutes until the door of a nearby house opened and an old woman called for the children. The boys wished good night to the girl and went to the house, while the girl walked further away to another house down the road. Legolas was puzzled. The old woman could not be Valerie Thompson. And the children were living in different homes. He would have to wait and observe both houses before identifying which one belonged to the woman he was looking for.

He was hungry and started wondering if he should come back the next day, when a little after sundown, he eventually saw at the end of the street a burgundy truck pass the gate and park in front of the house where the two boys and the old woman were living. As soon as the car stopped, a back door opened and a small girl with curly red hair jumped out and ran to the house, leaving her door open. Her mother came out, gathering many bags while speaking in her cell phone, and closed her daughter's door with a soft kick, her hands being full. She looked very much like the woman he had seen in the pictures Kate had shown him, except that she was wearing a more casual dark blue dress and wore less makeup. Her hair was attached in a bun, making her look more serious than in the pictures he had seen before.

He held his breath for a moment. Lady Galadriel had been right. This woman was beautiful, and was radiating energy and confidence. She was nothing like the mortals that lived in Middle Earth, and could not be compared to Kate or any woman he had met so far in this town.

Legolas swiftly ran around the forest and found another hiding spot behind Valerie Thompson's house. It was very big by his standards. Many families would have been able to live in this house if it had been built in Middle Earth. It definitely was not a castle, but a very comfortable home, at least three times as big as Kate's house. There were lights in almost every room, and people did not bother to close the curtains, believing that the protection offered by the gates was sufficient not to worry about stalkers and observers. In the kitchen, the older woman was greeting the young girl with kisses. Even Valerie gave the woman a kiss on the cheek before continuing to speak in her cell phone.

Legolas could hear some strange music being played in the house, and it suddenly stopped when the older woman called the boys. They both arrived in the dining room in a hurry, shoving their little sister out of their way in the process. The girl retaliated by throwing toys with quite a precise aim right at their heads. Valerie put her hand on the phone and said something that must have been a threat as the children immediately quieted down. The older woman helped the children around the table and served them a meal while Valerie kept arguing over the phone. Her phone call lasted many more minutes, and he admired her as she walked back and forth, clearly upset by her conversation. A few times, he heard words she was saying louder, like Christmas, competition, timing and models. He had no idea what she was talking about. She eventually closed her phone, put it in her purse and went back to the dining room where the second woman was still watching the children as they ate. The woman gave Valerie a plate and she started eating it standing, talking to the woman and the children at the same time. Eventually, a car parked in front of the house, and the old woman put her coat on and gave a kiss to the children before she went in the car, greeted by the man who was driving.

Legolas realized that the second woman, the older one, was probably some servant who helped the family and went back home every night. He observed the nightly routine of the family, how the two oldest boys took out books from their bags and started reading and writing, and they awfully looked like himself when he was an elfling working under the supervision of his preceptor. Valerie was helping the children when they had questions while keeping an eye on her daughter who was watching a program on the television.

They eventually all watched television together, and after a while, Valerie made them go to bed. He watched her as she helped them get ready, and spent some time in bed with each of her children. She obviously loved them very much, hugging them and kissing them many times before closing their lights. Once they were all in bed, he saw her go in another section of the house where this time the curtains were closed. Thinking she was going to bed, he almost left when he saw her come out of the room and go to the first floor, where she started running on some machine that allowed her to run without actually moving on the ground. Legolas had never seen such a machine, but it seemed very practical if you wanted to run without going outside. He could not fathom why Valerie wanted to run like this, in her own house. Running was certainly not a necessity nor a pleasure for her, as she seemed to put much effort in running as fast as she could for the longest period of time as she could. Valerie Thompson was a strange woman.

Once she was done, she went back to the room with the closed curtains, and he thought she was going to bed for good when she came out once again, her hair wet, and went on the first floor again, in a room that was obviously an office. She started working on her computer for almost two hours, and for all that time, he could not let his eyes leave her form. He was learning all about her, her smiles, her expressions, her bad habits, like that nail biting or how she constantly played with her right slipper, who always fell on the floor. She would put it back on, and it was falling again after a few minutes. The woman was very nervous, it was an obvious thing. At that point in time, he knew it was the middle of the night, and that she was supposed to be sleeping. She eventually walked to a couch in a corner of the room, where she started looking at pictures. She fell asleep there, on the couch, with the lights still on.

Legolas decided to get back home. If Kate woke up in the morning and did not find him, she would be very worried. He would come back early in the morning to observe the family again. He went back home and fell asleep quickly, and woke up a little before dawn. He quickly ate toasts with peanut butter, his favorite, and left Kate's house, leaving her a note not to worry about him. When he finally reached Valerie's home, the burgundy truck was already gone, and only the old woman was in the house. The maid was doing some laundry and changing the bed sheets in the children's rooms. He had missed them. How could they have spent so little time at home? And how could Valerie Thompson have slept so little hours in the night? She was not even an elf!

* * *

In the next chapter, you will meet the new Valerie... It is almost ready, I should publish it soon.

Please review and let me know if you preferred Haldir's approch or Legolas' approach when it comes to meeting Valerie!

Annielle


	4. Chapter 4 - The Life of Valerie Thompson

**My usual thanks to Aureleis, iloooveinuyasha1, KrystylSky, Peridot Eyez, Paperlanterns86, KKK3, ShueYun, faye50free, Angel, Morwen80 and Fi. It seems that most of you preferred the Legolas approach to meeting Valerie. At least, he didn't end up in jail – yet!**

**In this next chapter, you will see the Valerie 2.0. I hope you will appreciate her as much as the one from the first story!**

_Chapter 3 ended with:_

_When he finally reached Valerie's home, the burgundy truck was already gone, and only the old woman was in the house. The maid was doing some laundry and changing the bed sheets in the children's rooms. He had missed them. How could they have spent so little time at home? And how could Valerie Thompson have slept so little hours in the night? She was not even an elf!_

**Chapter 4 – The life of Valerie Thompson**

Legolas had been watching Valerie and her family for a full week. By then, he knew well their habits and schedules, and had come up with various plans to introduce himself in their lives, without being able to make up his mind on one specifically. It was a Saturday, right after dinner, and once again, Legolas was perched in his favorite tree in their backyard. The family seemed ready to come out of the house and play in the backyard. Legolas would see them closer than he had ever seen them since he had started hiding in the forest. In the backyard was a big balcony and stairs leading to some sort of blue artificial lake that had a strong clean smell he had never encountered before. There was also a separate little bath with a top nearby the pool. He hid in the leaves when he heard the back glass door slide and the children started coming out of the house in their bathing suits.

"This is the last time of the season, so enjoy it!" Valerie told her children from inside the house. "I will soon stop the water heater, it is getting too cold at night."

The children started whining that it was not that cold yet. Legolas snorted. In every world and every culture, children were the same. They interpreted reality as they wished it to be and not as it really was. The difference in temperature between the air and the water was so important that steam was coming out of the pool. How could they not see that?

"We are September 22nd! This is fall! I am stopping the heater tonight! And wait for me before going in the water!" Valerie insisted, still inside the house while the children threw their towels beside the inground pool. The girl and the youngest boy jumped in the pool with screams of delight while the older boy started to scowl.

"Sean! Phoebe! Mom just said we cannot go in the water if she is not watching us!"

"Did I just hear a disobedient child jump in the pool?" Valerie screamed from inside. An instant later, she was outside and standing by the pool, glaring at her youngest children. "Both of you! Out of the water and stay on the side until I decide that you can go in. Now!"

Legolas was appalled. Valerie was practically naked. She was wearing what he assumed was swimwear, a top that barely covered her breasts and panties. He could see her shoulders, her stomach, all of her legs! It was leaving very little to the imagination, and no elleth nor woman in Middle Earth would accept to appear in public like this. Her children did not seem to care. Her sons only wore colorful short pants and her daughter also wore a two-piece swimsuit with flowers. It seemed very normal in this world.

The children whined and begged, but faced with a determined and angry mother, they eventually came out of the water and wrapped themselves in their towels while watching their older brother, who was making quite a show of swimming in front of them, grinning triumphantly.

"Why does Liam have the right to swim?" the girl, Phoebe, asked with a pout.

"Because your brother always listens to my commands while you never do," Valerie replied harshly while removing the cover of the nearby bath. "Sean, help me remove the spa cover," she asked, and the youngest boy helped his mother before going back to sit beside his sister.

Legolas, who was keeping his attention on the children to avoid the inappropriate sight of their mother, could barely resist the voice inside his head who was telling him to observe the woman he could bind himself to while he had the opportunity. He fought with himself for a minute or so, and finally decided to just have a quick look. The quick look became a long stare, until Valerie finally allowed the two culprits to go back in the pool while she went into the bath she had called a spa. The spa's water seemed hotter than the pool's, with even more steam coming out in the autumn's cold air. He could no longer see her body, but he knew the sight was forever imprinted in his memory. She was very different than an elleth, but at the same time, she was beautiful. She was tall and had a slender waist that barely showed she had carried three children. Her breasts were bigger than an elleth's, and he caught himself imagining touching them and discovering how firm and round they would feel in his hand... He gulped and shifted uncomfortably in his tree. He physically wanted this woman. He burned for her. He wanted her in his bed. But his mission was not to sleep with her. It was to discover if she could become his mate for eternity and become the princess of Greenwood. He needed to speak to her, get to know her and fall in love with her before making that decision. At least, he now knew that physically, he was extremely attracted to her. One less thing to worry about.

Thanks to his elven hearing, he heard the front door of the house being unlocked with a key, but no one else did. He moved sideways in the tree to look inside the house through the glass door and saw a woman he had never seen before walk in the house as if she was at home. She dropped her purse on the dining room table and called for Valerie.

Valerie, who had been relaxing in the spa with her eyes closed, turned her head around, listening to the children and wondering if one of them had called her. The three children were still screaming and laughing very hard while doing a water splashing contest while jumping and diving from the springboard. She listened to them carefully, and leaned her head back, closing her eyes again. Legolas was once again amazed at how weak the human hearing was.

The woman inside the house eventually realized that the family was in the backyard and opened the glass door.

"Valerie!"

This time, Valerie heard the woman and turned to face her.

"Mom? What are you doing here?"

So this was Valerie's mother. It was the first time that Legolas was seeing a family member. He had started wondering if Valerie's parents and siblings were in speaking terms with her. For the elves, not seeing your parents for many days was not customary when you lived in the same realm.

"I came to talk to you, my dear." She bent over the spa and gave Valerie a kiss on each cheek. Legolas frowned. Why did Valerie's mother give her such fake kisses? She did not even touch her cheeks with her lips. How strange!

The children started coming out of the pool to greet her properly, but she did a defensive movement to send them back in the water. "I have a new dress, I do not want you to ruin it!"

Liam and Sean shrugged and went back in the pool while Phoebe's lower lip started to tremble.

"Come here, baby," Valerie said, and she bent over the spa to give a quick kiss on her daughter's head. "I love you! Go back with your brothers now, Grandma and I need to talk." Phoebe nodded, comforted by her mother's attention, and went back to her constant mission: bothering her brothers to the limit of their patience until they retaliated, something Legolas had noticed she was very successful at and usually never failed to earn her brothers a punishment from their mother.

"You do not see them much, Mother. The least you could do is give them a kiss when you see them," Valerie said somewhat coldly.

"They are wet with chlorinated water! They could ruin my new Prada dress."

"Why do you wear such a dress to come visit me then? Don't you remember you have grandchildren living here?"

"We are on our way to a fundraiser event."

"We?"

"Your father is waiting for me in the car."

"And he doesn't even bother to come see his grandchildren?" Valerie asked with irritation.

"He is on a very important call with -"

"I do not care! I wouldn't want you guys to be late, so you are more than welcome to leave." Valerie turned away from her mother in a dismissive way and watched her children stubbornly.

"I was coming to ask you a favor," her mother said, immediately getting her attention back.

"A favor?" Valerie asked with sarcasm. "I thought the last time you asked me a favor was supposed to be the last time!"

So far, Legolas was not impressed with Valerie's politeness with her mother. Who could refuse a favor to their parents? This was not how elves were being raised. Valerie's education was certainly lacking in that aspect.

"I am sorry, my dear. I did not know I would need your help again. You see, Samantha is quite a charming woman, and your brother -"

"Who is Samantha?"

"Your brother's girlfriend."

"Was he not with a girl called Emma? That was the name of the last bimbo I had to accept as a model in my magazine because she had the incredible honor of warming my brother's bed."

"Valerie!" the woman said, frowning. "Please do not use such crass images! Emma was a beautiful girl and she deserved to be a model."

"If she was that deserving, an agency would have hired her. She did not even have the required height, we had to adjust all her clothing because the pants and dresses were too big for her!"

"Now Samantha on the other hand," Valerie's mother said, changing the subject, "is a very talented girl. She is a promising designer and she is tall enough to pose for her own creations. Her teeth are not that nice, but if she smiles with her lips closed, that should do."

Valerie gave her a horrified glance. "What?"

"I said her teeth are slightly crooked, but your brother doesn't have time to get them fixed before the Christmas issue."

"No!" Valerie said in a firm tone. "The Christmas issue is almost complete! I cannot add more pages at this point."

"Now now, my girl! We both know how things are working in the publishing world. Until the magazines are printed, you can still make a change. Remove some pages if you need to, and replace them with pictures of Samantha wearing her own creations. You still have time. You are not going into printing before two weeks."

"No!" Valerie said, standing in the spa and grabbing a towel. "Tell my brother that I refuse! I am still controlling what is in my magazine."

"This is where you are wrong, Valerie," her mother replied, losing her cheerful mask. "This company belongs to your father. Your brother is the Chief Operating Officer and will take the reigns of the corporation within the next ten years. Your father owns many publishing companies and magazines, and you happen to work for one of them. He named you there, and can fire you any time he wants if you do not follow his directives."

At that point, her tone was icy and her eyes had no affection whatsoever for her own daughter. Legolas could not believe his eyes. How could this woman have gone from a seemingly affectionate but shallow mother to such a cold, heartless woman? He suddenly understood why Valerie did not seem polite at the beginning of this conversation. She knew her mother well while he did not. He remembered how many times his father the king had made decisions, and explained them in details to him when he had not been in agreement with them. Never had Thranduil told him to comply with his commands simply because he was king. This was nothing like what he was currently witnessing between Valerie and her mother.

Valerie's mother stood and gave her daughter a glare. "Y&S doesn't belong to you, it belongs to your father. He made you the editor-in-chief that you are. I made you the woman that you are. You owe us."

"I can quit and find myself another editor-in-chief position. I have many contacts -"

"Contacts that will refuse to help you once your brother gives them a call, my dear."

They defied each other for a minute before a cell phone rang. Valerie's mother answered her phone.

"Yes my love, we are almost done here. It took a bit of persuading, but Valerie accepted. You know how she is! I will see you in a minute."

She hung up and watched her daughter again. "I am counting on you not to disappoint your brother, and by the same token, your father. Am I clear, Valerie?"

Valerie kept glaring, but eventually turned her head and nodded.

"That's my girl!" her mother exclaimed with fake enthusiasm. "I will send Samantha to your office on Monday."

The mother gave Valerie another fake kiss and sent a few kisses to her grandchildren before leaving the house. Legolas looked at Valerie, who seemed on the verge of tears.

Liam, her older son, came out of the pool and walked to his mother.

"Are you okay, Mom?" he asked with solicitude.

Valerie's pleasant mask was back in place in the next second. "Of course, Liam! Everything is fine. Just a little disagreement with your grandmother. Nothing a 10-year old boy should worry about! Kids! It's time to go to bed!"

While Sean and Phoebe were getting out of the pool, Liam was still standing beside his mother as if he was trying to protect her.

"Do you need help to put back the spa cover?"

"No, sweetheart. I will come back." Valerie and her youngest children entered the house while Liam was staying behind. Once he saw that he was alone, he took the cell phone his mother had left on the table and dialed a number.

"Can you come?" he asked with a little, worried voice. "Grandma was here again and she upset Mom." Legolas tried to hear what his interlocutor was replying but could not. "We are going to bed. Yes. Thank you." He hung up and put the phone back where it had been, as if he didn't want his mother to find out he had called someone.

Legolas watched them in their nighttime ritual, all the while wondering if Liam had called a man to support Valerie. He had not seen one since the beginning of his surveillance, but that did not mean she did not have a male companion. His blood started boiling at the thought. He realized that although he had not even met her officially yet, he already considered that she belonged to him.

Valerie came back outside with a bottle of red wine and a glass and went back in the spa. She drank a full glass very rapidly, and put it on the edge of the spa a little forcefully. The glass did not break and strangely, she looked a little disappointed. She almost jumped out of her skin when her cell phone rang, and picked it up wearily.

"Hello? Yes, Mother?" She listened to her mother and rolled her eyes. "Yes." Suddenly, her face became red and her expression furious. "I already told you I would do it! Are you calling to rub salt into the wound?" She pushed a button and looked at the phone as if it was her enemy. She suddenly turned around and threw it with all her strength against the brick wall of the house. The phone exploded into small pieces and she smiled viciously. Until she calmed down and looked at the pieces all over the balcony. "Oh shit! Another one."

She sat back down in the spa and took another glass of wine. Legolas heard a key in the front door's lock again and wondered if this was the person Liam had called. It seemed that everyone in Valerie's life had a key to her house, and he hoped it was not a male companion so close to her that she would have given him a key. He sighed in relief when he saw that it was a brown-haired woman who looked very much like a younger version of Valerie's mother. He assumed she was her sister, the one that was a healer.

"Val?" the woman called, coming directly outside.

"Allison, one day, you will have to tell me how you always show up after I get into a fight with Mom, Dad or our dear brother."

"It is our deep, close link, sister. I can feel your emotions from afar -"

"You're so full of shit!" Valerie said with a small smile. "Want some wine?"

"Please!" Allison replied. She pulled a chair near the spa and put her feet up on the edge. She took the bottle of wine and started drinking directly from the bottle.

"Mother would be appalled if she saw you. This is not how John Thompson's daughters have been raised!"

"I know. You and I can keep up the act in front of them, but we both know that when they are not around, we are normal human beings. Not these fake dolls we were raised to be!" Allison took a long gulp and sighed in satisfaction. "You always had good taste in wine. What is it?"

"A Chianti."

Allison looked around. "I see you have violently murdered another cell phone?"

"Yes. Rose will kill me on Monday."

"How many new phones did your assistant had to buy in the past two months?"

"This is none of your business."

"Three? Four?"

"Five," Valerie admitted, taking another sip of her wine.

The sisters looked at each other for the longest time, Allison waiting for Valerie to tell her what had happened, and Valerie daring her to ask the question first. Allison gave up, her curiosity levels sky rocketing.

"What happened, Val? What did Mom do this time?"

"Nothing new. John has a new girlfriend."

"Oh, I see!"

"A designer, this time around."

"Really?" Allison asked with sarcasm. "Anyone we have ever heard of?"

"Nope! And no one that will ever be known in the industry, that's for sure! If she needs John's power to be in a fashion magazine, my guess is that her talent is abysmal and her creations without any originality."

"At least, it is only her creations. You can probably hide them under a lot of accessories."

"Actually, not only is she a designer, but she is also tall enough to be a model!"

"Is she cute?"

"I stopped listening when Mother said that her teeth were crooked."

"Fuck! What are you going to do?"

"Do as you said. Hide her dresses under lots of accessories, and make sure she doesn't smile too much. Put two inches of makeup on her face..."

"Wasn't the Christmas issue ready?"

"Almost. I will have to make changes to make room for his bimbo."

"I don't know how you can take this so casually. Murdered cell phone excluded."

"Believe me, I have felt like crying most of the evening. But tell me, do I have a choice? I made the monumental mistake of deciding to work in the family business instead of having a separate career like you do. If only Mom and Dad could recognize my success! I turned this magazine around! It is now the most popular of our entire portfolio, and still, they treat me like I am a child!"

"You are still a child to them. They do not see your life as a success, but as a failure. They think you would not be able to live like this if it were not for them. This house you have was paid with money you earned working for them..."

"I work hard and deserve every penny!"

"I know that! But they don't! And... there is the matter of your children. Born outside of wedlock... from three different men... That was a blow for Mother. In her circles, this is the worst gossip. So many accidents!"

"My children are not accidents!" Valerie cried, abruptly standing and towering over her sister.

"I know, Val! But this is what people are saying -"

"I don't care! Each one of my children was desired and planned!"

"But why do you raise them without a father? That's the part you never told me!"

Valerie sat down again, and finished her glass of wine in silence.

"Come on," Allison insisted. "Let me in that head of yours. You are the most secretive of us all. It's been years that I ask you this question and you never answer me. Tell me now. Please!"

"Do you love them?"

"Who? Your children? How can you even ask that question? You know I do! I do not have children of my own, you guys are all I have!"

"You have Mom, Dad and John Junior."

Allison laughed. "They might treat me better than they treat you, but they have no affection for me. And they cannot control me, which is a torn at their side. Valerie, I love your children, and will never reject them because you are a single mother. I just want to understand why you never got married to have your children."

"I hate our parents' marriage. He cheats on her all the time and she acts like she has no idea. She turned into a selfish woman who only thinks of shopping for clothes and jewelry. He turned her into that woman who has no love for her children except for his heir. I did not want this for myself. I do not need a man to treat me like this."

"Not all men are like Father."

"Says the woman who has never been in a steady relationship since she started dating at fourteen. Admit it! You fear the same!"

Allison remained silent for long moments. "There is that. And the fact that my career takes too much of my time."

"Don't you want children?"

"Maybe someday. But I do not want a man in my life to have these children. I am not willing to make that sacrifice," Allison whispered.

"See? You and I are the same. You want children without a man in your life. So you have decided not to have children. I have decided to have the children without the husband."

"Who are the fathers? If you do not mind me asking?"

"A designer for Liam. Sean's father was a business man I met when I was in Spain for a year. And Phoebe's father was a model."

"Do they know about their child?"

"They could not care less. I am just lucky that the children all look like me. It saves me from answering many questions."

"Liam is starting to ask questions. Your children need a father figure."

"He asked you?"

"Yes. Your son is clever, Valerie. He will soon find out and then, what will you answer him?"

"That he doesn't need a fucked up father like ours. And that our brother is no better. He will have to be content with me. And you. I am so glad to have you! You are the only one keeping me sane in this family."

"We are very pathetic. The perfect example of what happens to children raised in a dysfunctional family."

"I know. It is a wonder that we are not in therapy."

"Speak for yourself. I still need some anxiety pills."

"I will probably need a prescription of sleeping pills," Valerie admitted. "I don't think I will sleep well over the next few months with our family acting up again."

"I'll give you one before I leave."

Both sisters stayed silent and the night became darker and darker, until Legolas could hardly see them anymore. He was both saddened and angered by what he had heard.

"I love you, you know," Allison whispered. "The four of you."

"The whole crazy bunch?" Valerie asked with a shaky voice.

"Yes. The whole crazy bunch."

They remained silent some more.

"I love you too," Valerie eventually whispered, as if it was painful to say. "You are the only person I trust."

"And I trust you. We will always be together."

"Yes."

Another moment passed.

"Want to sleep here?"

"I was wondering when you would offer. I was getting used to the idea of sleeping in the spa," Allison joked.

Legolas watched the sisters as they entered the house and got ready for bed. He had just found a major obstacle that would make Valerie's departure to Middle Earth difficult. Would she accept to follow him and leave behind the only person that she truly loved after her children?

OoOoO

"I am here to meet with Valerie," a high-pitched voice said outside of her office.

Valerie flinched. Samantha had not even said a word to her yet that she was already getting on her nerves. Her appointment had been for 9h30, and it was almost 10 o'clock. Samantha was already acting like her brother, as if Valerie was just a pawn in the family game. If only the poor girl knew that she would last less than three months in John Junior's life, if she was anything like the other numerous girls her brother had been dating in the past years.

"Are you talking about Ms. Thompson?" Rose, Valerie's assistant asked in a sweet tone. Valerie knew her assistant. Her tone was gentle, but her smile must be cold as ice. Rose could not stand disrespect.

"Yes, of course! John Junior, my boyfriend, made sure I had an appointment." Valerie almost laughed when she heard the girl use her brother's name like a banner on a battlefield. "He is the Vice-President of Thompson Publishing," she whispered to Rose, as if Valerie's assistant required a reminder about John Junior's position in the company.

"Oh really?" Rose asked, almost mortified for the clueless girl. "That is really nice to hear, but your appointment was at 9h30. I am sorry. You will have to wait until Ms. Thompson is available. She has another appointment at 10 o'clock, so you will have to wait until she is done with the people that are punctual."

"Could I get a coffee? I just came out of bed and I would need the caffeine."

"There is a coffee machine at the end of the hallway. Just turn left in the second corridor. You shouldn't get lost, I think. Although, when I reflect upon this some more... No, I think you should manage!"

Valerie chuckled. She loved Rose. She was like a watchdog. She had remained polite with her brother's girlfriend, and had managed to insult her twice in a minute at the same time.

Valerie had spent Sunday with her children and her sister Allison, and that had helped her to see the situation in a much more positive way. She could do it, but she was tired of the situation. She loved her magazine and had dedicated the last ten years of her life to it. Her magazine was at the top of paper readerships and web memberships. She herself had developed a vast network of designers, publishers, agencies and models, and she was a reference in the industry, much more than her father believed. She was putting up with her family's condescension because she loved her magazine. It was the most important thing to her after her children and Allison.

There was a knock on the door. Rose entered immediately after, followed by the Y&S senior team.

"Here is your new phone," Rose said, giving her a cell phone. "I reprogrammed it like the others. I would appreciate if it could survive at least three weeks."

"I cannot make that kind of promises during the Christmas issue period," Valerie replied with an angelic smile.

"Your 9h30 appointment is here. The one we talked about earlier."

"I know. Tell her I will see her when I have a moment."

The stylists sat around a table, and they discussed the last minutes changes to accommodate the extra pages for Samantha's collection. At this point, they all were used to the last minute changes resulting from John Junior's requests and knew Valerie would not tolerate any negative comments about it. It was something for her to express her opposition to her family in private, but she never discussed it in front of her employees.

"I want the pictures done today. Patrick, you can take care of that. We must have a photographer that is available right away. Hollie, have the makeup and hair team ready within the hour. I know they thought they were done, but tell them it is an emergency. Olivia, the key word here is accessories. Please stay with me while I meet Samantha. I want you to have an idea of what her collection looks like.

"How many outfits do we have to add?"

"It depends. Maybe two, maximum three."

"The graphic team will freak," Patrick commented.

"This is not the first last minute change. We still have two weeks."

"Actually, the printers called. They will need our files in two days if we want to have the Christmas issue ready for the party in three weeks."

"Like we needed that additional pressure!" Valerie sighed. "How is the party organization going?"

"Good," Rose said. "Everything is ready. You have to choose the dress you will wear. I sent you the draft of your speech yesterday."

"Good. I want the new pages tonight so I can approve them. I will see you all tomorrow at 10 again. Rose, please ask Samantha to come in... if she didn't get lost in the hallway," she added with a wink, showing her assistant that she had heard their earlier conversation.

Olivia remained with Valerie while Samantha was introduced in her office.

"Valerie! I have heard so much about you, I feel like we are friends already!" the young woman she had never met before said while opening her arms with familiarity, expecting a kiss. Valerie winced, but nevertheless stood and gave her a nice smile. Maybe Samantha would not be so bad and deserved a chance, and Valerie believed in giving everyone a chance. Just one chance. One.

"You have the same hair color than your father!" Samantha added with a laugh, grabbing one of Valerie's locks.

"And what is wrong with our hair color?" Valerie asked after giving her brother's girlfriend a quick kiss and pulling her lock out of Samantha's grasp.

"Nothing! I am just glad that John Junior has your mother's brown hair! Yours is just so..." she seemed to hesitate, and not finding the right words, she continued: "I heard all your children have red hair?"

Valerie smiled pleasantly but had already decided that Samantha was a good-looking dimwit. Her teeth were not so bad though. That could be arranged by the graphic team. "Yes, they do have red hair!"

"Ms. Thompson's hair is her trademark in the industry. I have heard many models say that they wished they had colorful and waves like she does!" Olivia said, feeling she had to defend Valerie from the attacks of this somewhat ordinary girl.

Samantha looked at Olivia with surprise, and turned to observe Valerie once more. "You know Valerie, you look younger than I thought. Your brother told me you are 31, and I swear to God I would not give you more than 29."

Valerie briefly wondered if Samantha thought she would be flattered by being told she looked two years younger than she actually was. That was a farce. Where did his brother find this girl?

"Let me see your collection," Valerie asked, ending the torture. "I have many appointments today, and I am afraid I no longer have half an hour for you like you would have had if you had arrived at 9h30."

Not even realizing that she was being lectured, Samantha proudly took out some pictures of herself wearing her dresses. Beside Valerie, Olivia shivered slightly. Those dresses were not formal enough to appear in the Christmas issue! She looked at her boss for help and Valerie nodded, silently telling her not to worry. She selected the only three dresses that were tolerable and asked Samantha how long it would take her to get the three dresses.

"They are in my car."

"You brought all your dresses with you?"

"Yes. Your brother told me that you would put all my collection in the Christmas issue. He will help me open a boutique, you know."

Outside the office, they heard Rose cough, without a doubt hiding her laughter.

"Good for you!" Valerie said with conviction while Olivia looked elsewhere to remain serious. There was a little crack in the wall, right beside the door, and maybe if she stared at it long enough, she would be able to control her giggles? Valerie gently elbowed her in the ribs and Olivia turned back to the other two women. "Now," Valerie said once she knew Olivia was listening, "my brother knows nothing about the fashion world. We never put more than three dresses from the same designer in each issue. It is even worse for the Christmas issue, the most important one of the year! I am afraid I cannot make an exception for you. Many designers would be affronted if I were..."

"Oh my God, no! I don't want the other designers to be mad at me!" Samantha said with genuine distress. "That would not start well my relationship with them!"

Outside, Rose went into a coughing fit. Valerie walked to the door and closed it gently, letting Rose know that she was not mad at her for her lack of control. The conversation was just surreal.

"We understand each other then! I trust you will enlighten my brother about this little problem?" Valerie asked.

"Of course! You can trust me! I am so glad that I have you to guide me!"

"Now, Samantha, go get these three dresses in your car. Olivia will be waiting for you. The makeup and hair artists are waiting for you. Today is your day!"

Samantha smiled with enthusiasm, and left the office promising to be back within ten minutes. Once she was out, Olivia turned to Valerie and asked what she was supposed to do with such a disaster.

"Let's do three pages called _How to make an ordinary dress a holiday success_... Or some sort of nonsense like that. You get the idea?"

"I do. That gives me a couple of ideas."

"Great. Show me how brilliant you are, once again."

"Wait until you see the dresses I have found for you for the party! You will call me a genius!"

When Samantha came back, Rose had closed Valerie's door and directed her to Olivia's office.

"When will I see Valerie again?" Samantha asked Rose. "I would like to show her more of my work -"

"Let's start with the Christmas issue first. If you have more work, you can contact me for, let's say, the March issue, alright?" Rose insisted.

"Ok, I guess," Samantha said. "Tell Valerie I cannot wait to see her again."

"I will give your message to Ms. Thompson," Rose replied.

Inside her office, Valerie laughed silently. Rose knew as much as Valerie that they would probably never see Samantha again. John Junior would soon find another girl to be with. Another woman that she would be forced to put in her magazine against her will.

Valerie sighed and turned her chair to face the window, looking at the city at her feet. She was thinking of dropping everything on a regular basis, dreaming of a quiet life with her children and Allison, preferably on a deserted island where no one would be able to reach them. A place where she would start over and make different choices. She spent five minutes dreaming about this fantasy life, until Rose called her to let her know her next appointment had arrived. Time to end the pity party and get back to business.

* * *

Please take a minute to let me know if you like the new version of Valerie. In the next chapter, Legolas finally makes a move. Will he fail miserably like our Marchwarden?

Annielle


	5. Chapter 5 - Contact

Most of you liked the new Valerie, some others will wait to read more about her before deciding if they preferred the Valerie from the Haldir version. Starting in this chapter, you will get to know her better, as she will play a major role in the story from now on...

I greatly enjoyed reading the reviews of Aureleis, Paperlanterns86, Icebend28, Estel undomiel, Manwathiel-Nanethiel, faye50free, kaydub, Fi, ShueYun, Emma, Blood-In-Poison, Angel, world-classgeek, Dorothea Blackmoor and KurandRobgirl. Thank you for sharing your opinion with me!

MeggySky: yes, Legolas will be much happier with his destiny in this story. But Haldir will also be, eventually..

Morwen80: I don't have plans for another story right now – I am concentrating on this one for now. Maybe I will be inspired to write another Glorfindel story or one with the twins – but I am not sure at this point.

KrystylSky and blackunicorne: Allison will play a bigger role in this story, but in future chapters... You will not be disappointed!

Glory Bee: I do plan different pairings than in the original story, while some couples just cannot be changed... You will see in a few chapter what will happen with Allison...

Peridot Eyez: You are right, this Valerie is more suited to fit in a royal family, with her upbringing. But she will be a breath a fresh air for Legolas and his father!

Hirilnin: Don't worry, Valerie isn't such a tough nut to crack! Legolas will know exactly how to seduce her.

Abbyforth: You are right, Legolas has been stalking, and he is not about to stop... But... I like him too much to send him to jail for it!

Iloooveinuyasha1: I hope the new Valerie will keep growing on you!

No name: Thank you for sharing your opinion. I personally don't think both Valeries are actually waiting for a man to change their lives. They both have careers and are strong women, but sometimes they are tired and dream of a different life, whether it is with a man or not... I do hope that you enjoy the story nevertheless...

_Chapter 4 ended with:_

_Valerie sighed and turned her chair to face the window, looking at the city at her feet. She was thinking of dropping everything on a regular basis, dreaming of a quiet life with her children and Allison, preferably on a deserted island where no one would be able to reach them. A place where she would start over and make different choices. She spent five minutes dreaming about this fantasy life, until Rose called her to let her know her next appointment had arrived. Time to end the pity party and get back to business._

**Chapter 5 - Contact**

Valerie was at the park with the kids, after dinner but before sundown. She loved running in this park while her children played. It was much better than running on her treadmill, but unfortunately she could not train there as often as she would like. Sean and Phoebe were playing in the sand, Sean being the architect of the sand castles while his sister was carrying water between the sandbox and the nearby fountain. Liam was reading at a wooden picnic table, keeping a distracted eye on his younger siblings. Valerie was jogging on the round track around the park, watching her kids every now and then when a blond man appeared at her side, a runner like herself. He was sprinting faster than she did and soon all she could see was his back, with long golden hair attached in a low ponytail. He was tall, slender but still muscular, and if his front side was as attractive as his back... Valerie chuckled and glanced at her children, making sure they were safe.

The man overtook her again less than ten minutes later, and this time, he smiled in her direction when he passed her. Valerie kept running, but blushed deeply. He was so... breathtaking! She had seen her share of handsome men, especially models, but this man? He was in a separate category! She wondered if he had been approached to be a model. He could quickly become a worldwide hit!

Phoebe, who had stopped helping Sean with the sandcastle building, decided to climb on top of the highest slide, despite her mother's multiple commands not to do so in the weeks prior. She stood on the top of the tubular slide and screamed: "I am the queen of the world!" at the top of her lungs. She started turning around to make sure her words were heard all over the park. She suddenly lost her balance and fell in the sand, screaming in terror on her way down. Valerie started running towards her daughter, but the blond man reached her children before she did, running faster than she had seen anyone run. It had almost been blurry. When she arrived at the scene, the man had helped Phoebe to sit and was moving her little legs, asking her if the movements were painful.

"Phoebe! Are you alright?" she cried as she dropped on her knees beside her daughter, catching Phoebe's head in her hands and kissing her hair with relief.

"Mommy!" her daughter whimpered, "I fell from the slide!"

"I saw, baby, I saw!" Valerie hushed, looking at the man who was now watching them with interest.

"Your daughter is fine, she does not have any broken bones. Just a few scratches. She was more scared than hurt," the man said with a strong accent.

He was even more attractive than she had first thought. His skin was perfect, with a tone so light that it seemed there was some light shining through. His long golden hair seemed silky, like soft baby hair. His hands were aristocratic, but the palms and some fingers seemed strangely calloused. She immediately recognized the hands of an archer who was not using gloves. His nose was straight, and his lips were thin but sensual. Her gaze lingered there far too long before she realized she was staring at his mouth. His piercing blue eyes were studying her while she was staring at him, and when her eyes went back to his, slightly mortified but her curiosity satisfied. He gave her a charming smile that showed his perfectly aligned ultra-white teeth.

"Mommy!" Phoebe whimpered again. Valerie chided herself. Her daughter had been hurt and all she could do was stare at the most magnetic man she had ever met before. But she didn't seem to be able to stop looking at him. She stood and picked up her daughter from the ground. "Let's go home," she told her sons while cradling her daughter to calm her down. "Well... I better get her home to clean the scratches. Thank you for your help," she told the man.

"I did not help much. I am glad she was not hurt," he replied.

They stared at each other for a few seconds, before Liam reminded his mother that they had to go home. He didn't understand why his mother was taking so long to leave the park while Phoebe was crying.

"Goodbye. It was nice meeting you," Valerie said. They walked to the car and drove back home. It was only then that she realized she had not even asked the man for his name. He had helped her with Phoebe, he was the most handsome man she had ever seen, and she had not even thought of asking him his name! She really was a desperate case!

Her sons got ready for bed while she bathed Phoebe and cleaned the scratches on her legs. She put some band-aids with Disney's princesses on each cut, and that was enough to bring back a smile on her daughter's face. Once they were all in bed, Valerie put a coat on, took her laptop and went to sit on the balcony in the backyard. Rose had sent her an email with the additional pages featuring Samantha and her three creations. She opened the email and clicked on the file, but suddenly lifted her gaze from the screen. It had been quite a few days that she felt... observed. As if someone's gaze was always on her, especially when she was outside. She sharply looked in the forest at the end of her land, but could not see anything in the dark. She knew the guards at the gates were doing regular tours of the community, and had always felt secure. She dismissed her discomfort, blaming it on the Christmas issue frenzy. Speaking of which... she looked at the file Rose had sent and smiled. Her team had once again created a little miracle. Samantha looked good, her lack of experience not really showing on the pictures. Olivia's accessories were outstanding and if she were to be honest, the dresses were enhancing the accessories instead of the opposite. Her brother would complain, but she had respected her promise. Samantha and her creations were in the Christmas issue.

She laughed, delighted. In the trees, Legolas smiled. He much preferred to see her laugh than cry.

Valerie picked up her phone and called her assistant.

"Rose? It's great! I love it! Give the go ahead to the graphic team. Now, Olivia told me she had the dresses for me to try for the launch on the 20th. Did she bring them to you? Okay. I will read the speech later tonight and make some changes." Valerie listened for a while then sighed. "No, I will not be bringing a date, and I don't think Allison will either. Did my parents confirm their presence?" Valerie grimaced. "And my brother?" She grimaced again. "Thanks. I will see you tomorrow."

In the tree, Legolas thought that he needed to attend this event, whatever it was. It would be a great way to meet her again. But it was three weeks away. Three weeks lost while he had already spent a month here. That would only leave four months to seduce her. Was it enough? Realizing it might not, Legolas decided that he would run in the park regularly after dinner, in case she would do the same. He needed to be there before her, to make sure she didn't think he was stalking her.

OoOoO

She had seen him at the park three times in a week. If she were honest with herself, their meetings were no coincidences. She had started running there frequently instead of on her treadmill at home, in the hope of seeing him again. The first time, they had not really spoken because Phoebe had been hurt. The second time they met, they had smiled to each other but he had kept running, listening to his music, concentrating on his race. She had wondered why he had not spoken to her. He could at least have asked her about Phoebe. His silence had bothered her greatly. She was not used to being ignored, and she had decided that if they were to meet again, she would not let him avoid her again.

Legolas was running in the large ring when he saw her car arriving in the street. The three kids came out of the car and ran to their usual spot while Valerie was getting warmed up. He smiled to her but kept running, instinctively knowing it would drive her insane. He knew her habits and was very aware that she had come back only to see him. He did a complete tour, and when he was near her again, he was surprised to feel a hand on his arm, holding him. He had been electrified by the touch of her soft skin strongly gripping his bicep to get his attention. This was the action of a woman used to get what she wanted. He liked that in her. He found it attractive, never having seen this in an elleth.

"Hello!" he read on her lips as he stopped, and he removed his earphones to greet her properly.

"Good evening! I see that your daughter is doing well," he said, pointing her children in the middle of the park. Once again, her son Liam was reading a book while Sean and Phoebe were playing in the sand. The little girl was not getting anywhere near the slides.

"She was fine a few minutes after we got home. I never got the chance to thank you properly so... Thank you again for your help."

"It was a pleasure."

"My name is Valerie," she said, extending her hand.

"Legolas," he replied, and they shook hands vigorously. That also was unusual for an elleth.

"Legolas? I have never heard that name. Where are you from?"

"You obviously noticed my accent! Valerie, I am sorry but I still have 30 minutes to train and I have an appointment later tonight..." he said, pointing at the track. In reality, he wanted to change the subject. He knew he would not be able to fool Valerie like he had fooled Kate. Valerie was an educated woman who had probably traveled a lot.

"Oh! I am sorry! We could... run together? That is, if you don't mind running a little slower than usual! I have noticed you have more endurance and power than most runners."

"Why not? I can walk while you run!" he asked, winking at her. She laughed and they started running in silence.

"Are you running here frequently?" she asked breathlessly after a few minutes.

"It's been more than a month," Legolas replied.

"I got fed up of running on my treadmill last week. It seems that we see each other almost every time I come here."

"Are you stalking me?" he asked with a grin. "Because if you are -"

"No! Although I admit it's starting to look like stalking, I can certify that our meetings are pure coincidences," she lied with assurance.

"I will take your word for it. You seem like a trustworthy woman."

They ran in silence for a while, and Legolas noticed how she was always keeping an eye on her children. "Your children are beautiful," he told her honestly. It had been centuries since the last elfling had been born in Greenwood. The elves could not stand the idea of bringing innocent lives into their world anymore. Not with Sauron's threat rising and the darkening of the Greenwood. In fact, the darkness was so strong in Greenwood that Men, Dwarves and other elven people were calling it Mirkwood. There were a few children in Lake-town, but Legolas had not visited the human town since the death of his mother.

"Thank you. Do you have children yourself?"

"No! I am not married."

"Me neither, but I have children, as you can see."

"Did you get... what is it called in English... a divorce?" he hesitated. He knew perfectly well she did not after hearing her conversation with her sister the healer a week before, but he kept asking questions as if he truly had no idea.

"No. I was never married."

"You have a boyfriend then?"

"No. No husband, no boyfriend."

They continued running, lost in their thoughts. Legolas was impressed to see that Valerie could practically keep up with him, while she was wondering how come Legolas was not sweating. At all. When they were done 30 minutes later, she asked him if he would run the next day. When he confirmed he was planning to, she asked him if he wanted to run with her again. He agreed and spoke a little with the children before leaving. He asked questions to Liam about his book, and asked Phoebe and Sean how old they were and what kind of games they liked to play.

The next day, they ran together again, making small talk. At the end of the run, he took the bag he had left near the children and gave Phoebe toys to play in the sand. Liam received a book and Sean a book of piano scores. The kids politely thanked him and started looking at their gifts.

"How did you know Sean is a musician?" Valerie asked, puzzled.

"You told me the other day," Legolas replied with assurance. Truth be told, he knew he had bought the scores after having seen and heard Sean play music for many days now. When he spied on them. Valerie frowned but shrugged after a while. Hopefully, she would accept his explanation.

"Why do you have pointy ears?" Phoebe suddenly asked. Liam and Sean intensely studied Legolas and realized their sister's question was valid. Valerie simply blushed. She too had noticed the strange shape of his ears but had never dared ask him about it.

"I was born like this. A... malformation, I guess."

"I think it is nice," Phoebe said. "You look like an elf. Can you do magic?"

Legolas laughed nervously while Valerie glared at her daughter.

"Why is your hair so long?" Sean asked.

"Sean!" Valerie admonished. "I am sorry, Legolas. It seems I did not educate my children properly."

"Your children are charming," he said with a smile. "To answer your question, Sean, where I come from, my hairstyle is traditional."

"Kids, please get in the car," Valerie commanded. "We have to get back home. Sean has his piano lessons later tonight." The children said goodbye to Legolas and Liam helped his sister attach her seat belt while Sean was putting their toys in the trunk.

"Well... It was nice seeing you again," Valerie told him.

"It was... Do you think... I would like to see you again. In another context than running in the park," Legolas said seriously, maintaining her gaze, trying to convey his interest for her.

"I am very busy nowadays," Valerie said nervously. She thought he was extremely good-looking, she was definitely attracted to him, but... she was not looking for a relationship. She didn't want a man in her life, she reminded herself. She didn't need one. Seeing him in another context than training would make their encounters more serious.

"Just a coffee maybe?" Legolas insisted. He liked this strong beverage that didn't exist in Middle Earth.

"I will be very busy, I am not lying! I... I will see you tomorrow, I guess. Goodbye, Legolas!" She turned around and swiftly walked to the car where her children were waiting for her.

Legolas was disappointed, both with her escape and his own insistence. He had known that she was not looking for a relationship, and had probably pushed her a little too far under the current circumstances. Why did he have to insist? He watched her as she hesitated beside her car. She looked at him and seemed to make a decision. She took a pen and a piece of paper in her purse, wrote something down and walked back to him.

"We have a huge celebration on the 20th. If you are interested to attend... This is my office number, you can speak to Rose, she can give you an invitation and give you all the details. If... you are interested..."

"I will think about it." When he saw the disappointment in her eyes, he quickly added: "I will call Rose tomorrow."

"Good. Goodnight!"

"Goodnight, Valerie." She walked back to the car, and he waved goodbye to the children. Sean and Phoebe waved back while Liam was looking at him with a frown. He was a very clever boy. He was probably the only one that had noticed the attraction between his mother and him.

OoOoO

Legolas had called Rose as promised. He only had to introduce himself and the woman at the end of the line had taken care of everything. That is why on the evening of the 20th, Kate put him on a taxi to go to the chic hotel where the reception was organized. He was late, unfashionably late as per Kate. He had had to go buy a tuxedo with her at the last minute. Kate had assumed he had something to wear for such an evening, and when she had found out he did not, less than an hour before the appointed time, she had berated herself for not having asked before and brought him to this store where he purchased a suit that had cost him the equivalent of one gold coin.

The hotel was impressive, with marble floors, crystal lights and well-dressed employees that reminded him of the chamberlains in Imladris, the city of Lord Elrond. The place was crowded with young and old people, all of them wearing evening attire and jewelry. He realized that this was the equivalent of a court event like there still were in Minas Tirith and in Imladris. No such event had taken place in Greenwood since the passing of his mother. He walked to the reception hall and was amazed to see that around a thousand people were in attendance, sitting at round tables, dancing in the middle of the room or standing at the bars where alcohol was being served. The music was so loud that his ears were aching. He would not be able to stay for a long time if he wanted to remain sane. He looked around, searching for Valerie but he didn't find her at first glance. How was he supposed to find her in this crowd?

The song ended and the singer announced that Valerie Thompson would make a speech. Relieved that the volume of noise would come down a little, he turned to the stage and saw Valerie walking towards the microphone while people were clapping their hands. Amazingly, she looked comfortable under all this attention, a thing he had never been able to manage. He was a well-known warrior in Middle Earth, and knew people were talking about his exploits, but he was fundamentally modest, unlike his father. He did not like attention and avoided it at all costs, something his Adar claimed was costing Greenwood some of its potential glory.

Valerie was wearing a silver gown that bared her shoulders and was fitting her like a glove. There was a slit on her right leg, from the ankle up to high on her thigh, and with each step people could see her right leg, looking quite long with the silver high-heeled sandals she was wearing. She was... splendid. She walked up to the singer and kissed him on both cheeks. The man put both his hands around her waist while kissing her back and Legolas knew he would soon lose his temper if the man didn't remove his hands shortly from her body. Fortunately for him, Valerie turned around and ignored the gesture as if being touched by strangers was a common thing. He realized it was probably the case. All around him, people were kissing and hugging each other as if they were family, women clinging to men while men were putting their arms around the waist and shoulders of the women around them.

"Thank you!" Valerie said in the microphone, her voice being carried all the way to the end of the room. "It is a pleasure to welcome you to our annual launch of the Christmas issue of Y&S!" People clapped their hands again while an immense picture of the front page appeared behind Valerie. "This year, we have the pleasure of -"

Legolas stopped listening to the speech to concentrate on Valerie and how she looked under the spotlights. If he ever had had doubts about her being worthy of being part of the Greenwood royal family, his doubts were gone. She had everything required to be a preeminent figure in Middle Earth. She would be able to stand beside the rulers of Middle Earth, elvish and mannish, without looking out of place. She was what Greenwood needed to help restore some of its former glory, and with her, Silvan elves would stop being considered a lower race of elves.

There was no issue with the first condition, as far as Thranduil was concerned. The king had also advised Legolas not to bring this woman back if he did not think that he could fall in love with her and spend the rest of his life with her. He had spied on her for weeks, and had liked what he had seen. He had to admit that she was as far from a gentle elleth than a wild mare was from a doe. Surprisingly, he liked that about her. All the ellith he had been in a relationship with before were agreeing with his every word and were not questioning his behavior or opinions. Valerie would not. He had seen her argue with people, be firm in her decisions and tell people the truth, sometimes abruptly, sometimes with diplomacy. The only people that had successfully made her bend her head were her parents, and he knew she profoundly hated it and wanted out of their lives. He could give her a mean of escaping that would bring her a better future.

She had character, but was it enough for him to fall in love with her? The few times he had interacted with her, they had only been doing small talk. But he had gotten lost in her eyes many times, and her smiles were making his heart ache. He knew the sudden increased pace of his heartbeat each time he saw her meant that he was falling for her. He only had to get to know her better to completely fall head over heels. Maybe tonight, he would be able to have a conversation with her, maybe have a drink or two while her children were not around...

Valerie had finished her speech and was being led to the dance floor by a young man that had some distinct similarities with Allison, Valerie's sister. The band started playing again and he heard people around talking about _tango_ while many couples gathered on the dance floor excitedly. He didn't know this dance, but after watching the couples for a few minutes, he thought he could manage and wondered if he could join Valerie and steal her as a dance partner like he was seeing many men do on the dance floor. Valerie and her partner were flawlessly executing the figures but she looked upset and the man was talking to her in low tones. They started to argue in whispers, and as Legolas got closer to them, he started hearing their conversation despite to loudness of the music.

"You cannot do that, John!" she was telling him. Legolas deducted that he was seeing her brother, the infamous John Junior who liked to see his girlfriends in Valerie's magazine.

"Of course I can! And I am going to do it!"

"Father will never let you do that!"

"You want to see his signature at the bottom of the letter of intent?"

"You are a fucking little piece of shit! You have no right to do this! It's my magazine!"

"No, it is not! It belongs to our father, and I convinced him that we no longer needed it in our portfolio."

"I have dedicated all my career to this magazine! I made it the success that it is today! Without me, it would still barely survive!"

"Unlike our parents, I am perfectly aware that you are the cause of the magazine's success. And thanks to you, we will make an outrageous amount of money selling it! But worry not, Father will name you editor-in-chief of another struggling magazine so you can turn it around again. Then, I will sell it just to piss you off -"

Legolas caught her hand just as she was about to slap her brother in the face, and successfully made it look like he was stealing his partner by making her twirl in his arms.

"I am sorry, I wanted to dance with my date," he told John Junior with a cold smile. Stunned, Valerie's brother didn't say a word and watched that handsome stranger leave with his sister.

Legolas could see that Valerie was beyond upset. She had a hard time breathing and she was biting her lips to control her desire to scream or to cry. He led her towards the back of the room where he could see a door with a red exit sign above. He opened the door and saw a small alley with huge containers full of garbage emitting an intolerable smell. Valerie didn't seem disturbed by the odor, as she was taking deep breaths of cold air to calm herself down, without success. The next moment, she was removing her sandals and throwing them with all her strength against a container.

"What happened?" Legolas asked. He had not heard the entire conversation, but he knew her brother had done something to upset her that way. He had sold her magazine, but that did not make sense to him. All her magazines were for sale, no?

He saw her pick up the silver sandals and started to hit the container with them until the fragile ornaments fell and the ground was covered in silver sparklers. She stopped and looked at the destruction, all her rage gone. He saw her bow her head and hide her face in her hands.

"Shit!" she mumbled through her fingers.

Legolas was not sure if he was supposed to leave her alone or try to talk to her. After all, she had completely ignored his prior question. He didn't have much experience with ellith in distress, especially not with ellith that had such a flamboyant character. Would she accept his support? He came closer to her, until he stood right behind her. He tentatively put his arms around her and he felt her tense against his chest.

"What are you doing?" she asked him, shock obvious in her voice. She gripped his forearms in some half-heartfelt defensive move.

"What happened?" he asked again, insisting to know what was wrong.

She didn't reply for a long time. He could feel her relax in his arms, getting used to his touch. He knew that she didn't trust people easily, and that he still was a stranger to her. The fact that his arms were warm around her naked shoulders probably helped. They were in October after all.

"He sold my magazine to a competitor," she eventually said. "My brother is a vengeful little prick, and nothing will stop him to make my life miserable. He knows, you understand, he knows that beside my children, there is nothing more important in my life than Y&S. It is mine!"

"Can you speak to your father? I know when mine makes a decision that I cannot accept, he discusses it with me and many times, I have been able to gain concessions from him."

"Your father is the president of a company too?"

"Not exactly. But his… profession involves ruling hundreds of people, including me."

"I have to leave... I have to get out of this vicious circle, leave this sick family behind before they succeed in driving me insane!"

Suddenly, they heard the door open and they heard a squeal. "She is here! Wait - What is going on here? Valerie, are you alright?"

Valerie freed herself from his arms and stood beside him, shivering in the cold.

"Yes, Rose, don't worry."

Rose started speaking quickly in her cell phone while assessing the scene of destruction. "Holly! She is in the back alley of the building, use the exit door at the end of the room. I need new shoes, and bring Valerie's bags with her makeup and hair products." She closed her phone and looked at Valerie. "Why are your sandals destroyed?"

"Isn't better than a broken phone? It's easier to replace..." Valerie commented lamely.

"We have been looking all over for you! You need to show up at the reception, so many people want to talk to you about the spring fashion shows. Giovanni asked if you were planning to attend his Milan show this year, and I was not sure since you didn't give me an answer when I asked you last week."

"I don't know, Rose, I didn't make a decision yet." Legolas saw Valerie's pain in her eyes, as she now knew perfectly well that she would not go to Milan in the spring. But she could not tell her assistant that, not now. He was familiar with keeping information to yourself in order to protect the people that depended on you.

Another woman arrived in the alley, and within moments, Rose and Holly were fixing Valerie's hair and makeup while Valerie was putting on brand new shoes. Once they were satisfied that Valerie could go back to her guests, they both turned to him.

"I am assuming that you are the infamous Legolas?" Rose asked.

"Rose!" Valerie chided.

"She was right, he is very good looking! Valerie told us you were not a model, but if you are interested, I could contact someone I know very well who could -" Holly started.

"Holly, you suddenly remind me of John Junior! You two are worse than school girls!" Valerie said, taking his arm to go back to the reception. "I am sorry, I have not been able to teach them diplomacy despite all my efforts. They are desperate cases."

"Is it true that you think I am good-looking?" he asked with a smile.

"I will not answer that question. You seem to perfectly know what your assets are."

Legolas stayed with her for the rest of the evening as she spoke to almost everyone in attendance, and he appreciated that she presented him as her date to the people she met. He answered all the questions to the best of his knowledge, and believed he succeeded in not raising suspicions about his lack of knowledge on certain modern matters.

He could tell that Valerie was upset but kept a happy and confident front for the benefit of her guests and employees. He did all he could to distract her and made sure she had a good time. He even danced with her a few times, but at some point, the volume of the music became too loud for him and he started to think about going back to Kate's.

Valerie immediately noticed his discomfort. "Are you tired? I am sorry, there are so many people here that want to speak to me, it is such a chore sometimes. Did you... want to go home?"

"Are you planning to stay much longer?" he asked, wondering if it was her way of proposing that they leave together or if she was simply asking out of curiosity.

Valerie had not thought of leaving at the same time than Legolas, and certainly not with him! Not after her discussion with John Junior! All she wanted to do was go home, drink a lot, and hide under her bedsheets for a week. But then again, why would she let her brother ruin her evening? She could spend some more time with Legolas. Nothing serious. After all, even if he was the most thoughtful and attractive man she had ever met, she wasn't looking for a serious relationship. Nothing of consequences would come out of this, even if things were going a little too far tonight...

"As you can see, people are starting to leave, I could probably leave soon too. I would like to spend some time with you, if you are not too tired? I mean... we didn't have much time to talk, and I wanted to get to know you better," she proposed. "But if you want to go home -"

"I would like to spend more time with you," he cut through her rambling. He was rewarded with a bright smile.

"Good. Let me speak to a few more people, and then we can leave."

OoOoO

He rather liked her house seen from the inside. The atmosphere was warm and cozy, and he was seeing many unknown appliances and objects that Kate didn't have in her own house. He would have to tread carefully not to show his ignorance, which would doubtlessly raise her suspicions. He realized that many of the things he was seeing around him showed that Valerie had more money than the average mortals, although everything looked to be tasteful, not flashy like some rich merchants of Middle Earth liked to do.

Everything was surprisingly clean and in order for a household with three children. He realized it was due to the presence of a servant who was there many hours a day, cleaning, preparing meals and taking care of the boys when they arrived from school. He had no idea where Phoebe was spending her days, Valerie always came back with her around dinner time.

Valerie was in the kitchen, preparing drinks after the departure of the young babysitter. He started walking around the living room and entered the small connecting room where Sean was keeping his musical instruments. His saxophone was in a case on a small table. Legolas opened the case and touched the golden metal instrument that produced sounds he had never heard before. He rather liked it when Sean played the saxophone, he could hear it from the trees in the backyard. But the instrument that he preferred was the piano. He delicately touched a key and was surprised by the low sound it made. He went to the other end of the keyboard, and the key he touched produced a high-pitched sound. Delighted, he tried every key in between, until Valerie appeared in the living room, asking him to stop playing if he didn't want to wake the children.

Legolas guiltily stopped and turned to look at Valerie. She was leaning against the door frame, holding two glasses with orange drinks.

"You never played the piano?" she asked, smiling.

"No. But I love the instrument very much."

"Me too. I used to play when I was younger. I don't have time anymore. Sean spends a lot of time playing music. You probably saw his saxophone too. His violin is in his bedroom, and he keeps his battery in the basement. I cannot stand the noises he is making with that instrument. I am thinking of buying him an electrical battery so he can play with earphones. Our ears would appreciated it!"

Legolas remembered the booming noises he could sometimes hear, coming from the lower level of the house. That must have been the battery. He knew exactly what Valerie was talking about when she said it was annoying her.

They went back in the living room and sat on the couch. They started drinking what Legolas thought at first was orange juice, something Kate usually served at breakfast, and almost choked when he took a big gulp of it. There was alcohol in this orange juice, lots of it, and Valerie smiled when she saw his reaction.

"I like a lot of vodka and peach Schnapps in this cocktail. I ran out of cranberry juice, so it is not as good as usual..."

"What is it called?"

"Sex on the Beach."

"What?"

"That's the name of the cocktail. Sex on the Beach. You never heard of it?"

"No. I am more used to wine and beer, although I must admit I do not like the taste of beer very much. We do not keep some in Greenwood, but the mortals of Lake-town drink beer."

"The mortals?" Valerie asked, raising an eyebrow.

Legolas could have beat himself. He needed to be more cautious. "This is a playful word we use to describe the people of Lake-town. Forget it! I see that you have a lot of books about history," he said, trying to change the subject.

Valerie looked at him strangely for a few more seconds before she turned in direction of the bookcase.

"Those are Liam's books. This kid is knowledge-hungry! He never stops reading or building machines. He has somewhere a list of all the subjects he wants to know about, and despite all his efforts, it keeps growing because each thing he reads about mentions other subjects he is interested to learn about!" she laughed. "His teachers cannot keep up with him. He has already skipped three school years, and the principal wanted him to skip another grade, but I refused. He is much younger than his classmates at this point, and I do not want him to suffer socially."

Legolas was suddenly hit by an Epiphany. He remembered the words of the prophecy:

_When the fiery storm and the elven champion meet,_

_the Halls of Mandos will release the fëar of the great_

_Scholar, minstrel, warrior, new blood in the elven lines_

_Reborn kings, twin, warden, hope in dark times..._

Liam the reader, knowledge hungry, too clever for his age... Lord Erestor of Imladris, the greatest elven scholar, must have been the same as an elfling! Liam was the scholar of the prophecy! And he was the oldest of Valerie's children. Next came the minstrel of the prophecy, Sean, who played many instruments. The second child of the prophecy. And what of little Phoebe? Was she part of the prophecy or not? Was she meant to remain behind? Legolas doubted a girl such as Phoebe would become a warrior, as the third child from the prophecy was supposed to be!

If his interpretation was right, it meant that he did not have to leave the children behind or take the children with him in Middle Earth just to please Valerie, but that they were meant to come and play a role in the prophecy. And Phoebe would come too, even if she was not part of it.

"So Legolas, enough talking about my sons. I would like to hear more about you. You are from a place called Greenwood?" Valerie recalled.

"Yes."

"Where is it?"

"A small place in the north."

"Near Lake-town."

"Yes," he confirmed, dreading the next question.

"In which country are Greenwood and Lake-town located?"

"In... Europe."

"Wow, can you vague this up for me?" Valerie laughed. "Do you have something to hide? Which country in Europe?" she insisted.

Legolas let his eyes wander on the bookshelf. There were many books about countries. He picked the first one, hoping the country was located in Europe. "Norway."

"Oh! I never went to Norway. But I heard it is a beautiful country."

Legolas sighed in relief. He couldn't believe his luck! "Yes, it is."

"How long are you planning to stay here?"

"A few months. I have to go back home at the beginning of February."

"And what do you do for a living?"

"I am... a warrior."

Valerie studied him for the longest time. "I have to admit that my first thought was that you look too innocent to be a warrior. But somehow, I just pictured you on a battlefield... Beautiful like an angel of light and destruction." She laughed nervously. "Have you ever been in a battle?"

"Yes, in fact, I have been in many battles."

"Were you ever wounded?"

"Yes, a few times."

"Did you ever kill someone?"

Legolas thought for a moment if orcs and goblins could qualify as _someone_. They were more something than someone, he thought at first. But they were still living beings, beasts that were breathing and killing anything standing in their way. "Yes, I did. Can we please... talk about something else?" Legolas didn't feel that the subject was leading to a discussion that would generate a romantic atmosphere anytime soon.

"I am sorry, Legolas, I didn't mean to upset you. I am sure that while you are on vacation, you don't want to talk about work. God knows how much I don't want to talk about mine right now. I will think about it tomorrow. Let's get drunk!"

"You work tomorrow."

"Are you always this serious?" she teased him.

"I can be anything you want," he answered with a grin.

"Do you have a girlfriend in Norway?" she asked with a twinkle in her eyes.

He thought about Amareth. Was she a girlfriend in the sense that Valerie meant? They had shared a bed for many decades, but he had had short relationships with other ellith too. He liked her, didn't love her per se, and had no intention of binding himself to her.

"If there had been no one in your life, you would have answered much faster than this!" she said, slightly disappointed.

"There is someone I am seeing, but she is not a girlfriend."

"A friend with benefits then?"

"With benefits?"

"Yes. A friend with whom you sleep when it is convenient for both of you."

"I guess she is a friend with benefits," he confirmed. Amareth would absolutely hate that expression!

Valerie took a sip of her drink, observing him with interest. "Is she waiting for you?"

"I don't care, to be honest. I am available, Valerie," he insisted, cutting short her investigation.

"Are you wondering if I am available?"

"I assumed that if you were not available, you would not have invited me here tonight."

"You assumed right," she confirmed. "I am available. But I must warn you: I am not looking for a serious relationship."

"Neither am I," Legolas lied skillfully, knowing any other answer would have meant the end of the evening for him. With Valerie, he needed to use a more subtle approach. Impose himself in her life as if it was simply more convenient for both of them to be together all the time, and slowly but surely become the indispensable lover and future mate.

They looked at each other, trying to anticipate the next move the other would make. Valerie finished her drink and put her glass on the coffee table. She turned to Legolas who had also finished his drink. She wondered if he would welcome her advances or not. He definitely looked relaxed, in a posture that told her he expected her to make the first move, as if he was letting her make the decision for the both of them. She took a deep breath, and before she lost her courage, moved closer to him, her heart beating wildly in her chest. They looked at each other, their faces just a few inches away, before Valerie slowly put her lips on his.

* * *

_Please do not forget to send me a review! Chapter 6 will start exactly where Chapter 5 ended - with an interesting scene, if you see what I mean..._


	6. Chapter 6 - Family Life

Many many thanks to Angel, KurandRobgirl, Aureleis, Krystylsky, Paperlanterns86, KKK3, Emma, ShueYun, faye50free, blackunicorne, Fi, world-classgeek, Sarafinja and Ninu for their wonderful reviews. I like hearing from you!

SleepyHollow 5: Do you think Legolas will have a hard time going from _friends with benefits_ to a real relationship? You will have your answer in this chapter...

Dorothea Blackmoor: I am glad that you start liking this version. Although it will have similarities with the Haldir version (some things just can't change!), I want to have a different story that will keep the readers interested in Valerie's second path...

Morwen 80: No, Elrond won't try to abduct his brother – I just can't picture that happening! He's such a nice ellon in my mind!

Peridot Eyez: enjoy the next chapter – that's the scene you've been waiting for!

Manwathiel Nanethiel: yes, Valerie will learn to trust him and depend on him – with time!

Estel Undomiel: don't worry about your English – it's very good. I speak French too, by the way!

Ilooveinuyasha1: Yes, her family is pretty pathetic. But it plays in Legolas' favor, otherwise, she could have hesitated to follow him to Middle Earth...

Many of you mentioned having enjoyed the description of Legolas running in the park. Don't you agree it would turn you into a marathon runner if you could run beside him? :-)

* * *

_Chapter 5 ended with: _

_He definitely looked relaxed, in a posture that told her he expected her to make the first move, as if he was letting her make the decision for the both of them. She took a deep breath, and before she lost her courage, moved closer to him, her heart beating wildly in her chest. They looked at each other, their faces just a few inches away, before Valerie slowly put her lips on his._

**Chapter 6 - Family Life**

Valerie kissed Legolas slowly, closed mouth kisses first, until he opened his lips and their tongues started caressing each other. He tasted like their drinks, but there was also a sweet taste in his mouth, that somehow reminded her of his scent. As far as she could tell, he was never wearing any perfume or after-shave, but always carried that intoxicating smell that made her want to put her nose against the skin of his neck and take a deep, appreciative breath. So far, she had managed to resist that impulse, but not that night. Valerie left his lips and gave him little kisses on his jaw while putting her hands in his silky hair. Legolas smelled and tasted wonderful! She pulled away and looked at him, reading desire as strong as hers in his eyes. They both wanted it, she realized, and although it was a bit early in their relationship, he was not a complete stranger either. They were both consenting, young and healthy adults. She moved from the sofa to straddle his legs and took his lips again, kissing him more passionately than before. Legolas responded by putting his hands on her waist and strongly pulling her closer to his chest.

When she started removing his jacket, Legolas suddenly realized that she wanted to make love. He had known she had the desire to do so, it had been crystal clear in her eyes and in the way she was kissing him. But he had never imagined that she would want to proceed so early in their acquaintance. He didn't hesitate for a second. This was the woman he thought was the most fascinating he had ever met, and he wanted her, both physically and romantically. And although he hoped she didn't make love with strangers on a regular basis, he was fairly certain that she would be monogamous once they made love the first time. From now on, in fact. He started removing his bow-tie while she was unbuttoning his shirt. She moved the fabric from his shoulders and started caressing his toned chest, touching his smooth, hairless skin while he was unzipping the back of her dress. Zippers were a wonderful invention, so much easier than untying the laces of an elven dress!

"You have many tattoos," she said, completely removing his shirt to look at them all. "I have never seen such tattoos," she continued. His upper arms were marked with strange symbols, like some unknown calligraphy with long, stylish characters. Then she bent over him to look at his back, and saw some more symbols on his shoulder blades.

"What do they mean? I have never seen such characters."

He pointed to his left arm. "This one says that I am a master bowman and a specialist of the blades."

"And this one?" she asked, pointing his right arm.

"This one says I am the captain of our army," he replied, pointing the first tattoo on his arm.

"And the one under?"

That was the one that counted how many foes he had killed. Each decade, a line was added to show how many more enemies he had eliminated. He decided not to tell her. After all, a thousand years old warrior living in Greenwood had, on average, killed a few thousand orcs, goblins, Easterlings and spiders. And Legolas was more than 2,000 years old and much more skilled than the average warrior. He doubted Valerie was ready to hear the number of his kills.

"I will tell you... when I know you better," he whispered, pulling her face towards his to kiss her again.

"And the ones on your back, are they a secret too?" she asked when he finally released her.

"They say that I am a son of Greenwood, a son of the Woodland Realm," he replied. He did not mention that they also said that he was the son of the king, the rightful heir to the Greenwood throne. She would probably not react well to that either.

"I don't have tattoos to show you," she replied lightly.

"But you have many other things that I would like to see," he said, pulling her gown down, revealing a strapless piece of grey lace covering her breasts. He had never seen such a thing and thought it was extremely erotic. He started to lightly touch the lace, and through it, her erected nipple. Her breathing slightly accelerated, and her eyelids seemed heavier as she looked at him through half-closed, hungry eyes.

"Are there any chances that the children will see or hear us?" he asked before it was too late. One of his worst childhood memories consisted of catching his parents in the act, and that memory was imprinted in his brain forever. It was not something he wanted for any other child.

"They are asleep. If anything, they could hear us more if we went in my bedroom."

"Good." He grabbed the back of her neck and pulled her in for a long, passionate kiss while he was still trying to figure out how to remove the lace covering her breasts.

"Wait!" she suddenly said through their kiss. "I have to get something in my bedroom." She put back on the top of her dress and ran to the stairs on her naked feet, making very little noise to ensure she would not wake her children. He watched her progress on the second floor until she disappeared from his view. He heard her open a drawer and wondered what was so important for her to interrupt their activities. She came back soon enough, holding something blue in her hand.

She settled back on his lap, showing him triumphantly a little blue envelope. It seemed to be containing something small that had a circle shape, but he had no idea what it was. As she looked at him expectantly and with growing worry as the seconds passed, he nodded, and he could see her immediate relief. Whatever that little thing was, it seemed important to her. She put the blue envelope beside them on the couch, and turned to him again. She slowly removed the top of her dress, keeping his gaze on her while she watched his reactions attentively. Her hands went to her back, her breasts getting closer to his face in the movement, and he barely resisted the temptation of kissing her throat when suddenly, the grey lace fell off her breasts. Valerie threw it on the floor while Legolas stared at her. He had already seen the shape of her breasts once while she was in her bathing suit, but to see her half-naked was a revelation.

She would soon be his. He would never get tired of her body like he had for other ellith in the past centuries. She was the one, and this would be the last time he made love to an elleth for the first time. Better get started then! He caressed her upper body, from her shoulders to her breasts in slow, light movements that made her shiver while she was tracing his tattoos with her fingers.

"You are beautiful," he whispered before kissing her throat.

"Look who's talking," she mumbled back. "I have never seen a body like yours," she whispered in his ear, her breath making him shiver. She couldn't know that elven ears were hypersensitive to touch, could she? What was he thinking? She didn't even know he was an elf – his thoughts were abruptly interrupted when she licked the tip of his ear. It sent a lightening of pure lust straight to his groin, and he groaned loudly.

Sensing his reaction, Valerie smiled and started to thoroughly suck and lick his ear while he was moaning, an expression of pure delight on his face while his lower body was moving to create friction between them. She let her hand wander near his groin and started rubbing his erection with her fingers. His breathing sped up significantly, and after a few seconds, he opened his eyes and begged her to stop.

"Why?" she asked, unaware that his orgasm was so very close.

"My ears... are very sensitive."

"So I saw!" she replied, pleased of the effect she had on him.

She tried to move to take care of his other ear when he kept her at arms-length. "Let me touch you," he asked. She acquiesced, and let him take one of her nipples in his mouth. It was her turn to moan helplessly as her desire grew with every passing second. She kissed his forehead, and then started rubbing the tip of both his ears.

"Valerie, by the Valar, if you do not leave my ears alone," he groaned against her chest, "I will throw you on the couch and make love to you right now, and worry about the preliminaries later!"

He smiled wickedly when he clearly felt her fingers rub his ears again. She would not tease him like this without facing the consequences! In a swift movement, she was lying on the couch and he was on top of her, lying between her legs.

"Gods, I want you!" he murmured between ragged breaths, studying her beautiful face as it became rosier with arousal.

"What are you waiting for, then? I was promised rapid satisfaction of my desires if I rubbed your ears, but it seems it was only words!" She was smiling but he could read the raw need in her eyes.

He sat on his feet and started pulling down her nylons and panties, which were in the same lace material that what she had been wearing on her breasts. "I want to see this again!" he said, showing her the panties. They were rushing tonight, but the next time around, he would take his time to savor the moment.

"I have some more in my bedroom," she informed him.

"I want to see them all... at a later time. Now, I need you naked, as the gods made you!"

Her dress was next to go, and he admired the rest of her body while she removed his belt and unbuttoned his pants. He quickly stood and removed the rest of his clothing, leaving it all over the floor, a brief flash of Amareth complaining about his untidiness coming to mind. He decided it was the last time he thought of the elleth while he was with Valerie. He came back to the couch, and placed himself above Valerie, who started to stroke his penis in long, sure movements.

"It's been so long since the last time," she whispered dreamily.

"I am sure you will remember the basics," he whispered back, caressing her face. "If not, I am sure we can find a book about the subject in Liam's bedroom -"

"Shut it! He is too young for this!" she giggled. "And kiss me instead of talking nonsense!"

He took her lips again, thoroughly exploring her mouth while he felt her grab the little blue envelope and tear it open. He didn't worry about it too much until he started feeling something cold and sticky on the head of his penis. In a swift movement, she had his entire member covered in some sort of tight wrapping. What in the name of Elbereth was this?

Keeping his face impassive despite his worry, he looked at her and she smiled to him. "Ready?" she asked, impatient. Was she really expecting him to make love to her with this thing on his penis? What was it for anyway? It must be some strange thing that mortals did here. It really seemed normal to her. Deciding that Valerie would not do anything to hurt him, he started to align himself at her entrance.

"I will remember this forever," he whispered seriously, and she frowned. The uneasiness that had quickly appeared on her face at his words disappeared as quickly when he entered her in one sure thrust. Despite the wrapping, he could feel how tight and warm she was around him. He could only imagine how it would feel if she allowed him to make love to her without this protection!

He pulled out almost completely and she grabbed his backside to pull him back in again, having misinterpreted his movement as if he wanted to stop. "Legolas, please!" she begged. "Do not stop!"

Putting her left leg around his waist, he started a rhythm that had them both moaning in delight for long moments before he felt that Valerie was close to her release. Her back was arched and her breathing shallow and rapid.

"I am... so close...please..." she murmured incoherently.

He increased his pace and was able to put his hand on her bud, caressing it briefly before she grabbed his shoulders, digging her nails in his skin and screaming his name in his ear. He watched her orgasm eagerly, registering her movements, her noises and how she was slowly resurfacing to reality. Satisfied that she had felt her pleasure, he finally allowed himself the release that had been impending for long moments. He started his movements again, and he was soon reaching his own peak while it was Valerie's turn to watch him with interest. Valerie pulled him against her chest, and they tenderly kissed while their heartbeats were slowly returning to normal.

OoOoO

He woke up, feeling observed but not threatened. It was the middle of the night. Keeping his eyes closed, he listened to the breathing beside the bed, and from the height and shallowness of the breathing, knew that it was Phoebe who was standing near him. He opened his eyes, wondering if she would be scared or affronted. It was neither. Her eyes only expressed curiosity.

"Legolas? What are you doing in Mommy's bed?" she whispered.

How could he explain to the child that he had gone from running in the park with her mother to being naked in her bed? "I slept here, and there was no other bed," he lamely explained, making sure the bedsheets were covering his lower body. He was completely naked underneath.

"There is a guest room next door," she informed him, still whispering. She just stood there, waiting for something.

"You want me to go now?" he whispered back. "I am still tired, and I started the night here..."

"You are sleeping in my space. This is where I sleep when I have nightmares."

"You had a nightmare?"

"Yes."

"You want to talk about it?" he continued whispering. Valerie must have been a deep sleeper if this conversation had not woken her yet.

"No. I just want to sleep with my mother," Phoebe insisted, her voice slightly louder as she was getting annoyed.

Valerie was naked too. He could not offer Phoebe to join them in the bed, and he could not leave to go in the guest room either. Fortunately, Valerie chose that moment to wake up.

"Phoebe? You had a nightmare again?"

"Yes. What is Legolas doing in your bed?"

If Valerie had not been completely awake by then, that question certainly did the trick. "Go back to bed, and I will join you and answer all your questions," Valerie decided.

Phoebe stomped her foot, but left the bedroom nevertheless, obeying her mother for once.

"I am sorry. She has nightmares frequently," Valerie said, coming out the bed and walking to her wardrobe to get a robe.

"Do you want me to leave?"

"Do you want to leave?" Valerie asked, turning back to face him, her hand on the door handle. Her gaze was piercing, analyzing.

Legolas knew it was a test. Although she didn't want a serious relationship, she would probably never see him again if he showed that he was not ready to deal with young children. Her children were the most important thing to her. On the other hand, if he decided to stay, they would see each other again and he could start building his relationship with both Valerie and her children.

"No, I do not want to leave. I should probably just... put something on."

"Yes, that would be best." She came back to the bed and gave him a kiss before leaving to go speak with Phoebe. Legolas put on his underwear and went back to bed while he listened to the conversation between mother and daughter. Phoebe had dreamed that a snake had been in her bed, and Valerie had to look all over the room with her to prove that there were no snakes in the bedroom. Valerie tucked her up in bed after the intensive searches were over, and Legolas smiled to see how Valerie was devoted to her children. Another mother would have simply told Phoebe that it was only a dream and closed the light and door behind her.

"Mommy, why is Legolas in your bed?"

Valerie whispered her reply, never realizing that he could hear them perfectly from her bedroom. "Legolas is my friend. He can sleep in my bed if we both want it."

"You have many friends. None of them has slept in your bed before."

"Good point. Then I would say that he is more than a regular friend."

"Is he my father?"

Valerie remained silent for a few seconds. "No, he is not. Why do you ask?"

"The other day, Liam said we don't have the same father. So I am looking for mine."

"Why are you looking for your father?"

"Because it would be nice to have a father. All my friends have one. They pick them up at school, they bring them to the restaurant, or to their classes..."

"I do all of this with you!"

"It is not the same. I want a father!" Phoebe said loudly, in a stubborn tone that could only be an imitation of Valerie in her worse days.

"I am sorry, Phoebe, I cannot give you a father just like this. It's not like I can buy you one at the department store!"

"But I want one! Liam and Sean say they want someone to talk to about things they don't want to talk about with you. And I want someone to play sports with."

"Maybe Uncle John could play with you?" Valerie could barely hide the distaste in her voice.

"No, we don't like Uncle John. He never wants to be around us. We want someone else. Legolas bought us gifts, you know?"

"Yes, I know."

"Does that mean he likes us?"

"I have no idea."

"Maybe it means he likes you, then?"

"I have no idea either. We barely know each other." Valerie bit her lower lip, realizing she had just told her daughter that she barely knew the man who was in her bed. Which was true. But they were both adults who could look after themselves. And Phoebe wasn't old enough to judge them. Liam would be another story in the morning!

Phoebe was silent for a while. Legolas was surprised with this conversation. It seemed that the kids were missing a man in their lives, and that Valerie was only realizing it now. He was confident that he could become close to them. Sean and Phoebe would be easy to get along with. Liam was a bit suspicious about him. He would not open up easily.

"We'll talk about it tomorrow, baby. You need to sleep," Valerie eventually said.

Legolas closed his eyes and faked sleep as Valerie was coming back in her bedroom. She stood by the bed, watching him intensely, and eventually put her robe on a chair and came back in the bed, looking for his warmth. The nights were getting cold.

"Everything okay?" Legolas asked, in a sleepy voice as if her entering the bed had woken him up.

"Yes. Go back to sleep," she replied, kissing his arm lightly before closing her eyes.

He stayed awake, his fingers tracing patterns on her arms and back. Her skin was so soft and warm. Her body temperature was much higher than his. She had not fallen back asleep, he could tell by the fluttering of her lashes in the crook of his neck. His hand became more adventurous, caressing her waist and slowly going to her hip. He felt her subtle movement to move on her side, giving him better access to the apex of her thighs if he wished to move his hand to this area. Legolas was not the kind of ellon who would refuse such an invitation from the one he wanted to mate with. That decision had been made the moment they had joined their bodies earlier in the evening. He had known she would be his forever. It had been a moment of all-consuming passion, but too quick, in his humble opinion. He was still hungry for her. He delicately pushed her on her back on the mattress and completely removed the sheet that was covering them. It was time for them to discover each other's most sensitive spots, and the discovery would take the rest of the night.

Tomorrow he would think about his next move. Leaving her behind while he went back to Middle Earth was no longer a possibility.

OoOoO

"I can stay with Phoebe today if you want," Legolas offered. Two weeks had passed since the party, two weeks in which Valerie and him had started what could only be called a casual relationship. He had been sleeping over every night in the past week, sharing her bed and having breakfast with the family every morning. Kate had been worried about him going too fast in his relationship with his so-called childhood sweetheart, but since he was still paying his rent, she didn't voice her opinion too harshly. She would have been even more worried had she known how Valerie was keeping Legolas on the thin line between boyfriend and simple friend with benefits. Sometimes, Legolas felt that Valerie was starting to have feelings for him, only to be disabused a moment later. It was not a pleasant situation, but he had known in advance that Valerie falling in love with him would not happen overnight, and that her admission of theses feelings would be even more challenging.

"You would?" Valerie asked, stopping to dial the phone number of whoever she was going to call for help. Phoebe had a day off at her school, and Paola, the maid and babysitter of the children, had called to ask for a few hours off for a last minute doctor's appointment in the morning. Valerie was trying to find someone who could take care of Phoebe, and out of desperation, had been about to call her mother.

"Yes! It's just for the morning, right? Paola will be here before lunch time?" he asked, trying not to show that the prospect of four hours alone with a five year-old girl was scary. He liked Phoebe very much, but so far, he never had been alone with her and been responsible for her. That couldn't be more complicated than being responsible for warriors in battle, he thought warily while watching Valerie's daughter beam at him.

Liam snorted. "You never refuse her anything. You'll be her slave for four long hours!" he predicted.

"You will miss the bus," Valerie cried, looking at the clock. Sure enough, Legolas started hearing the sound of the big yellow bus that was picking up the boys every morning.

"I didn't brush my teeth!" Sean shrieked.

"Too late!" Valerie decided. She picked up their schoolbags in the hallway and helped them to put their coats and bags on while the bus stopped in front of the house. She went outside without a coat to thank the driver, who had realized the Thompson boys were missing at the usual stop and had come to pick them up directly in front of their house.

Legolas remained alone with Phoebe who was eating a bowl of cereals. "What do you want to do today?"

"I don't know. Don't you go to the archery range every morning, after we leave?"

"Yes?"

"Well then, that's what we should do! I want to go to the archery range!" Phoebe cried. "Please! Please! Pretty please!"

Valerie came back in. "I really suck at morning routines when Paola isn't here. I have to leave, I am really late! Are you sure you are okay to take care of Phoebe?"

"Yes! What could go wrong, really?"

"A lot, actually," Valerie sighed. "Phoebe, I want you to listen to Legolas, alright? I better not hear that you misbehaved, young lady!"

"Phoebe always does as I say," Legolas mentioned, knowing Phoebe was only challenging her mother. She was always respectful and obedient with Paola and himself.

"I know. Call me if you need me. I will come right back here."

"We won't call you," Legolas replied, displaying a confidence he didn't really feel.

"What do you really want to do?" he asked the smaller version of Valerie once her mother had left after giving them both a tender kiss.

"Archery range!"

"I have never seen a child there, I am not sure if elflings are allowed."

"Elflings?"

"I meant children," Legolas corrected.

"Children are allowed, my mother told me once."

"Your mother still practices?"

"Rarely. She sometimes goes at lunchtime. She keeps a bow locked in her office at work. She keeps one here too. Locked in her bedroom."

"I have never seen it."

"She hides it. She doesn't want us to get hurt. These are true arrows. You might not believe me," the girl insisted seriously, "but people can get killed with arrows. And when you die, you don't come back. It's not like sleeping."

Legolas recognized the warning words of a mother trying to make her child understand the dangers of a weapon. "I know people can get killed with arrows," he replied as seriously, trying to temporarily forget how many of his warriors had lost their lives because of orcish arrows. "I would prefer if we stayed here, Phoebe. Your mother didn't give me permission to leave the house with you."

"But... you are her boyfriend?"

Legolas wasn't sure Valerie would call him that, but Phoebe wouldn't understand if he denied. "Yes, I am. But I am not your father. So I cannot make that kind of decision about you."

"Do you know who my father is?"

"No. I do not."

"Jody's mother remarried, and her new husband is now Jody's new father."

"Who is Jody?"

"A girl at school. Do you think... that you will marry my mom and that you will become my father?"

Legolas almost told her he was planning to, but thought it wouldn't be such a great idea to tell the child of his plan. "It is too early to tell, Phoebe. Your mother and I have only been together for two weeks..."

Phoebe didn't hide her disappointment but eventually stopped gazing at him, looking around to find something to do.

"You want to watch a movie?" Legolas offered.

"All my movies are boring," Phoebe pouted.

"What do you want to do then?"

"Archery!" she requested stubbornly. "We can do it in the backyard. Mother has a target in the garage."

"You don't have a bow," he reminded her.

"I can use yours. I know you lock it in the garage as soon as you arrive."

"Fine, but my bow is too big for you. I might have to help you," he warned.

"Thanks!" Phoebe cried, jumping up and down.

When Paola arrived four hours later, she saw Legolas and Phoebe in the backyard. Legolas was kneeling behind Phoebe who was standing. He was holding a wooden bow and had an arrow nocked, but Phoebe was the one who seemed to be aiming at Valerie's target, at the far end of the yard, just before the forest line. Paola knew that Legolas was an archer since he had mentioned going to the archery range a few times. But she had never seen him in action, and found strange that he was using a huge wooden bow instead of a smaller metal one like Valerie. She in fact had never seen anyone use a wooden bow while Valerie was competing when she was a teenager.

"Ready," the little girl said, and after counting to three, Legolas released the arrow. It went right in the centre of the target, and Phoebe screamed in delight while Legolas congratulated her.

Paola had flashbacks of Valerie as a young girl, learning archery despite her mother's disapproval. She wondered if Valerie had ever told Legolas about her successes as an archer when she was younger. She started to prepare lunch for Legolas and Phoebe, and while the food was cooking, she went in Valerie's office, took an old photo album and brought it back in the kitchen. When Phoebe and Legolas entered the house half an hour later, Paola had lunch ready for them. She sat with them and listened to Phoebe's babbling about archery while Legolas was eyeing Paola's big book.

"What is it?" he asked, curious. He could tell this wasn't a normal book. The housekeeper gave him an enigmatic smile, and pushed the book towards him.

"Mommy's pictures!" Phoebe cried.

Legolas opened the book and saw a page with many pictures of a younger version of Valerie. She was with her family but was most of the times holding Allison's hand, who was hovering protectively above her younger sister. Legolas had officially met Valerie's sister a few days before when Allison had invited herself for dinner. Valerie's sister had been suspicious about him, and when she had thought Legolas was out of earshot, she had warned Valerie not to get attached to a man she barely knew. She had asked Legolas many questions, many of which he had avoided to answer clearly.

He turned the page, and discovered a picture of Valerie with her bow on her back, and another one where she was aiming at a target. On a third one, a man was putting a ribbon with a golden circle around her neck while she was holding a bunch of flowers.

"She won many medals," Phoebe mentioned proudly.

"What is a medal?" he asked.

Paola thought he didn't know the word in English. "It is when you win a contest. A medal is the prize that you get when you win."

"Or a trophy!" Phoebe added. "All of Mom's trophies and medals are at my grandparents'."

"She won the state's archery challenge many years in a row," Paola added. "She also was the country's junior champion. John Junior also tried but he never won. He was always jealous of her talent."

"Is this when their animosity started?"

"You are aware of that?" the housekeeper sighed.

"Yes. Valerie told me about her difficult relationship with her brother. And with her parents, as a matter of fact."

"Valerie is so different than her parents and brother. I would have thought she had been adopted if she didn't have her father's hair color! She didn't have an easy childhood. Allison is closer in character to the rest of the family, but when she realized that Valerie was being treated differently, she started protecting her and hasn't stopped since then. Like I did. I was the family's nanny for many years, and they kept me after the children were grown up. I became the nanny of Valerie's children when she gave birth to Liam."

"Why is Valerie different?"

"She is independent, free-spirited. She started challenging her father at an early age, and Mr. Thompson doesn't like being defied. She misbehaved, ran away for a few hours at a times... I was so scared for her! Each time, her father was becoming more rigid and strict with her. Their relationship quickly deteriorated, Ms. Thompson took her husband's side, and Valerie was sent to a boarding school when she was thirteen. She rebelled and was expelled within two weeks. She went from boarding school to boarding school until she went to a school where girls were introduced to different sports. More violent sports, in my book. She learned archery, horseback riding, tennis, kungfu... It was a discovery. She had too much energy, and needed this physical exhaustion to keep herself in line. She went to university at the other end of the country and came back to live with the family. Her father offered her a position in his company. She has been a dutiful employee since then."

"But their relationship did not improve?"

"No. Mr. And Ms. Thompson hate the fact that she got children outside of marriage. She was under a lot of pressure when she got pregnant. That is when she moved out of the family manor and moved here. I followed her. I couldn't let my Valerie raise a child alone."

"Valerie told me you are like a mother to her."

"Yes. And she is the daughter I never had. I had two boys. My husband would like me to retire. But I can't... Not until I know that she no longer needs me. And she still does. You still want to look at these pictures?" Paola asked, picking up the plates on the table.

"I would like to look at them with Valerie, when she comes back tonight. Phoebe tells me that Valerie's bow is here?"

"She has one here, yes," Paola replied while rinsing the dishes. "But if you would like to try it, I would have to refuse. Valerie doesn't lend it to anyone."

"I would never use someone else's bow and would never let anyone use mine! It is such a personal item! Each archer has its own, with just the right tension of the tread. I was merely wondering if she trains here or only at the office."

Paola looked at Phoebe, knowing the girl had told Legolas information Valerie might have wanted to keep for herself.

"She rarely trains here. But I saw you help Phoebe. I hope you start training her, I am sure she will be just as good as her mother."

"I would need a child bow for Phoebe."

"I can get Valerie's first bow if you want," she proposed. "It is collecting dust at her parents' manor."

"If she started at thirteen, it will probably be too big for Phoebe. Maybe I should buy her one next time I go to the archery range."

OoOoO

Valerie was in fact delighted with the idea of Phoebe starting archery training. The three of them went to the archery range the following weekend, and Phoebe received her first bow. Legolas was fascinated with the mechanism of these metal bows. They seemed cold and impersonal as opposed to his smooth bow made of the finest wood with his name carved on the handle. But the modern ones seemed to be working well, as he could tell by watching Valerie's performance at the archery range.

She was very talented for a mortal. Would she have elven eyesight, she would be a great archer, who would deserve a place in his army. It was strange in itself for Legolas, since no elleth in Greenwood had ever shown any desire to use a weapon, bow, blades or sword. He wondered how his father would react to that side of Valerie. Surely Thranduil would not be too pleased with the idea. It would even be worse for Phoebe. Because after having taught the girl a few times, it was clear that the child was even more talented than her mother. He had quickly come to the conclusion that she was indeed the warrior of the prophecy.

If and when Valerie got pregnant, she would be carrying an elven king. Not a scholar like everyone expected back in Middle Earth. And Phoebe, the female warrior, would have to be protected from the scornful gaze of the elven population until she was old enough to protect herself.

OoOoO

Legolas slowly lied on his back on Valerie's bed, pulling her with him, her head firmly pressed against his neck. They both struggled to catch their breaths, until Valerie suddenly fought to be released from his embrace.

"What...?" she mumbled, surprised. She put her hand between her legs and brought it back full of white, creamy liquid.

"Shit!" she screamed, jumping out of the bed and running to the bathroom.

"What's wrong?" Legolas called, until he realized he still had to remove the condom he had used. That is when he realized that the condom must have tore open, because he didn't have the usual amount of sperm in it.

"Shit! Shit Shit! Fucking shit!" Valerie yelled in the bathroom.

Valerie would without a doubt be worried about the risk of getting pregnant. He certainly could not explain that as an elf, his sperm was only potent when he actually wished to be a father. This is how the elves were having a relatively small amount of children for beings that lived eternally. In order to get pregnant, a bonded couple needed to wish to have an elfling during intercourse, and this decision would trigger the sperm of the male to be issued from another canal, while the wish triggered fertility for an elleth. As far as he could tell, he had not wished to get Valerie pregnant, and the chance that she was in a fertile cycle that exact day were low. Legolas was certain that she was uselessly worrying. But he could not explain it to her, since he still had not introduced the subject of his race, Middle Earth or the prophecy that concerned her, for that matter. And he had a little more than three months left before he had to go back to Middle Earth.

He cleaned himself with a tissue, put on his boxers and walked slowly to the bathroom, wondering how he would find Valerie. She was sitting on the floor, her face hidden behind her hands. He knelt in front of her and removed her hands from her face.

"Valerie, I am sorry," he said, not knowing what else he could say to make her feel better without sounding suspicious.

"It is not your fault," she sighed. "Shit like that happens. Let's just cross our fingers that nothing will happen. That we are both healthy and that I will not get pregnant."

"I know I am healthy, Valerie. I have none of these diseases that are sexually transmitted."

"Did you do a test?"

"A test?"

"Did a doctor make tests to ensure you have no diseases since you made love with your last partner?"

"No."

"Then you don't know. But it's okay. We can ask Allison to make the tests for us, just to make sure that we will not have any health issues in the future."

"Fine. Now will you come back to bed, _Vanima_?"

"Vanima?"

"It means beautiful in my language. Come back to bed," he insisted.

"Fine," she sighed again. There was no point in staying on the cold bathroom tiles for hours for the pure pleasure of worrying about a pregnancy or diseases. He pulled her to her feet, and led her back to bed where they resumed their quiet rest.

"I love you," he whispered, thinking it would help her think of something else. It was the first time he was voicing his feelings, although he had shown her his deepening love with many gestures, looks and by making love to her many times a day.

Valerie stayed silent, her heart beating suddenly faster. She had not expected him to make that confession. Hell, she didn't even think that he already had such strong feelings for her! After all, they had been together just a few weeks. That meant he was feeling the same way than she was: there had been an immediate connection between them, a strong physical need to spend all your time with the other, the desire to know every thought and feeling that the other felt... She could admit this, despite all her efforts to remain cold and level-headed. Legolas loved her... Did she love him? Was she even capable of loving a man? So far, only her children, her sister and Paola had found a place in her heart. Did she have room for him too?

Was she falling in love with him? It was still time to break up and never see him again. But at the sudden pain in her chest when she thought about this radical option, she understood that it was probably too late. She was attached to him. He had, within a month, been able to become a dear friend, an attentive, skilled and passionate lover, an ear who could listen to her professional and family frustrations and a male mentor for her children. Her first relationship experience was conclusive, despite her original reluctance. Legolas made her happy.

She didn't reply, but she snaked her arm around his neck, holding him closer than before. He read it for what it was meant to mean: she had feelings for him, but was not ready to verbalize them. He didn't mind. He knew that she had lacked affection in her childhood. But he was on his way to gaining her heart. He would need to move fast and start talking about his true nature and the reason for his presence in her world, now that they loved each other.

* * *

_In the next chapter - Legolas hits the metaphoric wall at 200 miles per hour. Stay tuned! (wicked laughter)_


	7. Chapter 7 - Exposed

World-classgeek: yes, Legolas will have difficulties explaining Middle Earth and his nature. We see the start of that in this chapter!

Blackunicorne: yes, Gimli will be in the story, but much later...

Morwen80: sorry for the wait, I went on vacation for two weeks...

Paperlanterns86: you are right about the elves not getting tattoos, but I have a whole concept behind them. I hope you will like it!

Hirilnin: the wall will be hard and unexpected, but he will recover gracefully:-)

SleepyHollow 5: the truth comes out in this chapter, but not in the way he would have liked...

faye50free: sorry for the wait, I know you are impatient to get new chapters!

Foofie01: I am happy that you like Phoebe. I had doubts about making her the warrior in the beginning, but I am now confident that she will be great.

KKK3: yes, I tried to imagine how someone from Middle Earth would react to this unknown thing... Glad you found it funny.

Glory Bee: I am glad that you like the new children. I really wanted to make a different story, and different children helps me accomplish that.

Manwathiel-Nanethiel: she won't be exactly be calm when she hears the truth about Legolas' nature...

Fi: yes, there are rougher times ahead, but he will do what he has to do to gain her back...

Aureleis: Yes, Phoebe is really cute, and the boys will take a greater role in this chapter. And don't worry for Legolas...

Peridot Eyez: he won't be telling her the truth on his own schedule... That's the wall I was talking about!

Daenerys of Lorien: we will see Haldir in this story, and I already have plans about Haldir's fëa... Stay tuned (although it will be much later in the story).

And many thanks to Ninu, KrystylSky, Sarafinja, Gorron, gri, RajaniHala, EllethofMirkwood (thanks for the great comment!) for their nice reviews.

******I am so happy with the positive reactions this fic is getting! Thanks a lot for your support!**

**_Chapter 6 ended with:_**

_But Legolas was on his way to gaining her heart. He would need to move fast and start talking about his true nature and the reason for his presence in her world, now that they loved each other._

* * *

**Chapter 7 - Exposed**

Two weeks later, Allison decided to drop by Valerie's house before dinner, and she was currently helping Paola preparing the meal while her sister was on her way back home with Phoebe. The boys were playing in the backyard with Valerie's new boyfriend Legolas. There had been an unusual snow storm the day before, quite early in the season. It had paralysed the city for the day, and Allison had decided to join her sister's family to enjoy the evening with them instead of going out with some friends.

As she was cutting some vegetables and watching her nephews by the kitchen window, she realized that something was strange, but she couldn't pinpoint what the problem was... until she saw Sean and Legolas jump up and down in the snow. Sean and Liam had snow up to theirs ankles, while Legolas seemed to be standing on the snow. _Standing on the snow?_ That was not possible. He was a grown man. He was not heavy by any stretch of the imagination, but he was much heavier than the boys. He must be standing on a hard patch of ice! She walked to the refrigerator, took out some peppers and started cutting them in small slices, her eyes going back to the men outside while Paola was complaining about the pain in her back. She dropped her knife when she saw Legolas still standing on the snow, in a completely different area of the backyard. The boys were still with him, this time with snow almost up to their knees.

"Did you cut yourself, darling?" Paola asked.

Allison's mind was racing at a hundred miles per hour. Legolas had appeared out of nowhere in her sister's life, coming from a country that he had not specifically identified. He had this strange, ethereal beauty, his eyes were the eyes of a very old man, a man that had seen wars, beginnings, a man that had loved, that had grieved, a man that had lived a full life. His eyes were too old for his face. And his ears? She had noticed the first time she had met him that his ears were strangely pointy. He usually hid them under his long, golden hair, and most people didn't notice them. And, last but not least, Legolas had the ability _to walk on snow_.

Allison was a doctor, a scientific. She didn't believe in aliens, in paranormal, in anything that was not scientifically proved. There had to be an explanation, and she would get it before her sister got hurt. She knew Valerie had feelings for him, stronger than with any boyfriend she had had before. She would dismiss any argument that Allison would tell her to separate them, unless it was supported by indisputable evidence. She would get that evidence. She was a doctor after all.

She decided not to have dinner with them. When Valerie arrived with Phoebe, Allison reminded her that they were due for their annual blood tests. She went to her car where she was keeping her medical bag and took out the necessary supplies to take blood samples. She took the samples from the children, Paola and then Valerie. Legolas was watching her with interest. When she turned to him, she knew he immediately understood that she wanted to take some of his blood too. He didn't hesitate and put his arm on the table, ready. She realized he had no idea what she was planning to do with his blood.

She didn't wait for the next morning, and brought the samples back to the hospital immediately, and asked the lab to do the usual tests as a priority.

A week later, she received the reports from the lab. She glanced through the children's, who were all healthy as they had always been. Paola's was a little worrisome, and Allison would need to do a follow-up with her. She then looked at Legolas' report, and saw that the lab had put a note for her in the file. The blood sample seemed to have been in contact with other substances, it said, since the DNA was not matching human DNA. They had not detected any diseases, but how reliable were the results with a contaminated blood sample?

Allison felt her own blood freeze in her veins. The blood sample had not been contaminated. Legolas was not human. What was he? Would he harm her sister and her children?

She took her phone and dialed Valerie's number. Liam answered and he talked for a while, describing his homework on some book he had read. She distractedly listened, hoping that she could speak to Valerie quickly once he was done. She opened Valerie's file, sure that everything was fine with her sister. She glanced through the results, and saw another note at the bottom of the report, highlighted in bright pink. Pregnancy confirmed. The words made Allison dizzy. Valerie was pregnant, and without a doubt, Legolas was the father. A non-human father. A non-human child also?

"Did you want to speak to Mom?" Liam asked once he was finally done. "Aunt Allison?" he asked again when she remained silent, still shocked by the lab's note.

"Liam," she whispered. "Is Legolas at your house?"

"Yes, he is," Liam confirmed. "He practically lives here now!"

"Will you tell your mother..." she hesitated for a second, but made her decision quickly. The situation was critical. Her sister had put herself in the worst mess possible, once again. "Tell your mother that I will drop by tonight."

"We are about to go to bed," he protested. "Why didn't you come earlier? We won't see you!"

"I promise to come back again tomorrow," she told him. They would see a lot of her in the next few days, as she picked up the pieces of Valerie's heart all over again. And told her that she needed to get an abortion. What kind of being was growing in her stomach at this very moment?

She took her coat, her purse, and left her office with their files. She had the indisputable proof that Valerie would require. But somehow, she was unhappy to have been right. She felt like an executioner on her way to work.

OoOoO

Legolas was watching TV while the children were already in bed. Allison had asked Valerie to join her in the kitchen for a private, sisterly talk, and he was not paying attention to their whispers until he heard Valerie scream at Allison that she was a liar. He didn't know if he should join them as Allison was obviously distressing Valerie, or if he should just remain in the living room. In the end, he decided not to intrude, but started listening intently to what the sisters were saying to each other.

"The blood sample was contaminated!" Valerie was telling Allison.

"It was not contaminated! I took the necessary precautions and our lab has very competent employees. The blood sample was abnormal because Legolas is not normal! He doesn't have human DNA."

Legolas' heart came to a stop. Allison was about to blow his cover. He had never thought that Allison could use his blood to detect the fact that he was not from this world. He had simply given his blood, hoping that Allison could do the tests that Valerie had mentioned three weeks before when the condom had unfortunately been torn.

"Coming from you, a doctor, this is priceless! Tell me what he is, if he is not human?" Valerie whispered furiously, unaware that despite her low tone, Legolas could still hear everything, even her rapid heartbeat and her ragged breathing.

"I have no idea! He is some sort of different being. He arrived from nowhere, his ears are strange, his physical perfection is unearthly..."

"Why are you trying to ruin my happiness? For the first time in my life, I am truly in love with someone. Are you jealous? Why would you invent such idiocies? Yes, his ears are pointy. Does that make him a monster? And yes, he is probably the most gorgeous man we have ever seen! Since when is that a crime? Since when exceptional physical beauty and a slight physical defect became inhuman?"

"You forget the blood."

"It was contaminated!"

"Val... He can walk on snow."

"So can we! And everyone else for that matter!"

"No, I mean that he walks ON snow. Above it. He doesn't sink in the snow."

"That is ridiculous!"

"I saw him! Oh Val, you are in the middle of a mess again! He is not human, I am telling you! And your baby won't be either!"

"My baby?" Valerie asked, her voice surprised. Legolas didn't understand what Allison was talking about.

"Don't tell me you didn't know?" Allison asked regretfully.

Valerie stayed silent for a while, but eventually described the condom incident to her sister.

"How far along are you?" Allison asked.

"Not long. It happened 3 weeks ago. I have only been late a week."

At that point, Legolas completely forgot about Allison's suspicions, and felt immense joy at the thought that his Valerie was already carrying a child of the prophecy. They would be parents! He briefly wondered how she could have gotten pregnant while he didn't make a specific wish for them to have a child. Thinking back at his state of mind each time they made love, he could not deny that he had been thrilled to have found his fëa-mate, and that he had wanted the prophecy to take place. Maybe that had been enough to trigger the pregnancy? Obviously! In the kitchen, the sisters were no longer whispering but violently debating.

"I am not getting an abortion!" Valerie screamed, and he heard the distinct noise of a fist hitting the kitchen counter.

"The baby's father is not human! The baby won't be human either!"

"Allison, get out of my house!"

"Valerie, listen to me! You are making a big mistake and -"

"Get out! Go join our parents and our brother! You are no better than them!"

"Do not insult me! I am doing this for your own good!"

"You know nothing about what I need or what makes me happy. Leave my house and do not come back until you are ready to apologize to Legolas for insulting him so!"

"I cannot leave! Val, you need to listen to me!"

Legolas jumped out of the couch when he heard the tell-tale noises of someone being dragged against their will. He stood in the middle of the living room, stunned, as he saw a hard-faced Valerie pull and push a furious Allison through the hallway, to the main entrance and finally push her out the door. She quickly locked the door to ensure Allison would not come back in. Seeing her sister's purse and coat in the vestibule, she took her house key out of the purse, quickly reopened the door and sent it flying in the snow with the coat, right beside Allison.

"Have a nice life, Allison Thompson!" she said, before closing the door again. Valerie wiped the furious tears on her face and turned to Legolas.

"What was that about?" he asked innocently. He was feeling guilty. After all, Allison had been right in all her assumptions and facts. But he couldn't really tell Valerie. Not yet. Not while she was in this state.

"My sister just joined the Thompson Club. The club of people who cannot bear to see me happy."

"What happened?"

"She tried to separate us by insulting my intelligence. Not her cleverest move."

"She will regret and apologize," he predicted.

"She better if she wants to set foot in this house again. I have to go out in the backyard. You guys have left my target outside again."

"Let me go get it."

"No! I need the cold air to calm down. And I would like to be alone for a while. Finish watching the news, we can go to bed later."

Legolas watched her put her winter coat on and go out by the back door. He watched her disassemble the archery target and lift the heavy wooden pieces with difficulty. He suddenly remembered that she was carrying his child. She should not be lifting anything heavier than a small bag! He opened the door and ran to the end of the backyard.

"I told you I needed to be alone!" she said a bit curtly. She turned around and watched him with annoyance, and at that exact moment, he realized his mistake. There she was, in the snow up to her knees while he was standing on the snow, right in front of her. In the moonlight. He saw her expression change slowly, her eyes widening and her lips trembling. She dropped the pieces of the target at his feet.

"Allison was right," she whispered, fixing him with frightened eyes. "Stand back!" she cried when he tried to come closer.

"Vanima - _beautiful,_" he said, desperate to be given the chance to explain.

"Leave my house!" she screamed, picking up a piece of the wooden target to use it as a club to protect herself.

"Let me explain -" he turned his head in the direction of the house, where he could see some light. Liam had opened his curtains and was watching them warily.

"I will ask Liam to call the security guards if you do not leave immediately!"

"Valerie!" he insisted, walking towards her, only aggravating his case by displaying his unnatural ability to walk on snow. His skin was glowing under the moonlight, proclaiming his affiliation to a superior race. Valerie took a step back, contemplating him with both awe and terror.

"Liam!" she screamed. "Call the security!"

Legolas wasn't sure if Liam could hear his mother from inside the house, but when he saw his expression turn to fear and his sudden disappearance, he knew he didn't have much time left.

"Valerie, I am begging you, let me explain!"

"Do not hurt them, please!" she begged in return. "Do not hurt my children!"

"I would never hurt any of you!"

"Then leave! Whatever it is that you are, leave us alone! I cannot deal with this!"

They started hearing a siren, coming at full speed from the main gate, confirming that Liam had indeed called the security guards. Legolas had to leave if he didn't want to be arrested and interrogated. He watched the woman he loved, his destined fëa-mate, the woman carrying his child. All his future was falling apart, exploding in millions of pieces right before his eyes, and there was nothing he could do. His sense of survival took over. He delicately caressed her cold cheek, relieved that she didn't avoid the contact, and with one last glance, he ran to the end of the backyard, entering the forest and jumping above the fence protecting the small community.

OoOoO

Legolas was getting desperate. He had not heard Valerie's voice in a week and had only seen her from afar. Observing her in her house was no longer possible, since security guards were doing patrols around her home at all times. As far as he could tell, Allison was the one who had organized such stringent security around her sister and her children.

Valerie was no longer answering his calls, at home or on her cell phone. Rose, her assistant, was telling him in the coldest of voices that Ms. Thompson would not speak to him. He had seen Valerie going to work that very morning, when she had left her car to the valet in front of the building. She looked sick. She was pale, keeping her eyes down, her beautiful green eyes now having dark circles underneath. She had done her hair in an uncharacteristically simple braid, and was wearing what she used to call weekend clothes on a week day. Was she unwell because of the pregnancy or because of their separation? Was she suffering as much as he was? Missing him at every moment of the day like he was? He had almost ran to her but had resisted the overwhelming desire and need to take her in his arms. And now, alone in his room while Kate and her other guests were having dinner, he regretted his decision to give her some space. Giving Valerie some space had been Kate's idea. She had assumed it was a simple lovers quarrel, and had made him promise to give Valerie some time to think about the events and forgive him whatever small mistake he had made.

Looking back at the past two months, he realized that he had had no possible way of telling Valerie that he was an elf from a different world and to see her react positively to that. Any way that she could hear about it would have ended up with her cutting all contacts with him. But maybe it would have been slightly better if she had not heard about it from her sister, had a fight with her only to find out that Allison had been right the whole time. Maybe, _maybe_ if he had told her himself, in his own terms and on his own schedule, the facts could have been discussed between them without the involvement of an overprotective sister and security guards.

He put his face in his hands, negative feelings he had never felt before twirling in his head. He loved her, of that he was absolutely certain. Would he fade without her? Would he go back to Middle Earth and seek death at the hands of his enemies? Or stay here forever, watching her from afar, despairing to see her life going on without him?

He was startled when he heard a sound he had not heard in a long time. His cell phone, the one Valerie had given him to be able to contact him at any time, was ringing somewhere underneath a pile of clothes. Only one person had ever called him on this phone. Could she possibly be calling him? He jumped to the floor and found his phone, relieved to see her name displayed on the screen.

"Valerie?" he answered feverishly. There was no answer. All he could hear was the soft, shallow breathing of little lungs. "Phoebe, is that you?" he whispered, disappointed but surprisingly happy to know Valerie's daughter was calling him. He had missed the three children tremendously, having grown attached to them in the weeks he had spent at their house.

Her only answer were whimpers. "Phoebe, do not cry, my sweet darling," he consolingly told her. "You are a big, courageous girl."

"I miss you," she whispered between soft sobs.

"I miss you too. How are things at home?"

Before Phoebe had time to answer him, he heard Sean's voice in the background, asking his sister to give him the phone. Legolas listened to their voices as they fought for the phone, expecting the communication to be cut as soon as Sean took possession of it. But the boy surprised him.

"Legolas? When are you coming back home? Mommy is always crying, and we all miss you. Whatever she did, I am sure she is sorry now. Please come back!"

Legolas realized Valerie had not spoken to her children about the reason behind their separation. Sean and Phoebe were under the impression that Valerie had made a mistake and that he was the one staying away.

"Sean, it is more complicated than that..."

"Do you love my mother?" he asked with his usual lack of subtlety.

"Yes, I do. Very much."

"Then come back. We are not happy without you and -" Sean suddenly stopped and Legolas heard Phoebe cry in fright.

"What are you doing with Mom's cell phone?" Liam's voice said in the background. "Who are you calling?" Their guilty silence was clearly an admission, and Liam knew exactly who was at the end of the line. Legolas heard some commotion, and then Liam's voice yelled to his siblings to leave the room. After much complaints, Sean and Phoebe complied, and Legolas wondered why Liam was not hanging up. He got his answer shortly after.

"How can you use small children to get what you want? This is low, even for you!" Liam spat in the phone.

"They called me," Legolas defended himself.

"And you could have hung up, like any decent man would have done." Legolas doubted that and Liam had obviously no life experience to judge what a decent man would have done in his exact situation. "You know my mother wouldn't be happy to hear about that. You are lucky that I want to spare her more grief. You have caused her enough pain already."

"How is she, Liam?" Legolas begged. Of the three children, he was the only one mature enough to be able to give him an accurate answer.

"Why would you care? You abandoned her! Pregnant to make matters worse!"

"You know about that?"

"I heard my mother and my aunt talk about it. Aunt Allison was trying to convince her to get an abortion."

Legolas remembered the word he had heard before, without knowing its significance. It looked serious by the way Liam had pronounced it. "Liam? What is an abortion?"

"Seriously? You don't know what it is?"

"I do not know that word. Never heard it in English before."

"It is when a mother decides that she doesn't want a baby. They remove the child during an operation, and the pregnancy stops."

"What happens with the child?" Legolas wondered out loud.

"What do you think happens with the child, Legolas? The baby is not viable when they do it."

Legolas was horrified. Allison was trying to convince Valerie to get rid of their child. One of the elven kings. And although he had heard Valerie discard the possibility while Allison and her were talking about it, it had been before she had discovered he was not human. That could have more than likely changed Valerie's opinion.

"Did she make a decision yet?" he asked.

"Not that I know of. But why would you care?" Liam replied coldly.

"I care, Liam, please believe me when I say I care. I love your mother. She asked me to leave."

"What did you do?" the child asked, surprised by his last statement. If his mother had broken up with Legolas, why was she crying when she thought her children were not around?

"I... I lied about something."

"About what? I mean, it must have been a big lie, because we lie to her all the time and she doesn't stay angry for long when she finds out."

"I lied... about my origins."

"Does it have anything to do with your blood tests?"

Legolas was speechless.

"Will you answer me? Does it have anything to do with the tests?"

"How do you know about that?"

"My mother left the documents on her desk the other night. I read them the next day. It said that your blood was strange."

"Yes."

"Yes what?"

"Yes, my blood is strange."

"What is strange about it?"

Legolas had never imagined that he would be having this conversation with Valerie's oldest son. He had no idea what to say.

"Listen, Legolas," Liam said impatiently, definitely taking over the control of the conversation. "I am the scientific person in this family. I read about stuff my mother doesn't even know about. I am certain we are not alone in the universe. And I am certain that somewhere, in the billions of people living on this planet, some humans are different. Better or worse, but different. If you are one of them, I am the best person to discuss it with."

"I am sorry, Liam... I am not sure -"

"You look relatively normal to me," Liam continued. "Although your ears are strange. You feel different also, like you have a different aura. That's something that is really off with you. No one notices it, but you attract people to you. And don't think I haven't realized that thing you do with the snow, even if Sean and Phoebe haven't noticed it. Legolas? Are you going to say something?" Liam asked, wondering why Legolas was so silent.

"No."

"You don't want to talk about it?"

"No. Not with you. It is with your mother that I should be speaking with."

"I am all you've got, Legolas. It is time that you realize that!" There was silence after, and in the background, Legolas heard Valerie's voice calling her children. He closed his eyes, listening intently to the voice of his love. Valar, he missed her even more now that he had heard her speak. Unbearable pain in his chest made him bend in two, still clutching his phone between his fingers. "I have to go before my mother realizes her cell phone is missing," Liam continued. "When you are ready to talk, you know where to find me."

Legolas stared at the phone for a long time after Liam had suddenly cut the communication. A worried Kate entered his room shortly after.

"Legolas?" she asked, sitting beside him on his bed. "I heard you speak to someone. Did she finally call you?" she asked, hopeful. The sorry state the man was in since his breakup was troubling her greatly. He seemed very attached to his childhood friend and her children, and she had rarely seen such abrupt deterioration of someone's health following a breakup. He almost seemed to believe that life was not worth living without this Valerie Thompson in his life.

"No..." Kate took the cell phone from his hand and looked at the last number that had called.

"She called you!" she insisted.

"No! Her children did!"

"What did they say?"

Legolas tried to recall what had been said exactly. "Phoebe and Sean miss me."

"And what about Liam? He always gave you more trouble."

"Liam? He... He wants to see me in person. To discuss."

"About what?"

"About what happened with his mother, I guess."

"When are you meeting him?"

"I was not planning to meet him."

"Why not?" Kate asked, bewildered.

"Valerie wouldn't be happy about that."

"Yes, that is probably true. But... Legolas, you seem so... destroyed by what happened. If Liam is an ally, you shouldn't hesitate."

"He is just a child, Kate!"

"I don't think he is just a child. You told me much about him that makes me believe he is much more clever than the average child. Furthermore, he is so advanced in his schooling that he has the maturity of an older teenager. And quite frankly, if she doesn't forgive you meeting with her son at his insistence, what worse could happen than your current separation?"

"Nothing."

"That's right! There is very little risk that the situation will get worse. But Liam could help you make things better."

She enclosed him in a tender embrace. She had grown very attached to Legolas since his arrival at her house. He was different than any other young man she had ever met. He had always seemed so sure of himself, so strong, until his breakup with Valerie. He had not told her what had gone wrong, but she knew he had made some mistakes. And she would help him fix them so he could find his smile back.

"Are you hungry? I always found it difficult to think on an empty stomach. What would you like to eat?"

"I do not feel like eating."

"You mean you don't feel like eating with the others?" she guessed. "I will bring you something to eat here, in your room. If you meet Valerie soon, you have to look good. You have lost a bit of weight lately."

Legolas ate the food she brought him later and spent most of the night debating if he would meet with Liam or not. Before dawn, his decision was taken. He got dressed quickly and ran to the fence near Valerie's house. He climbed it skillfully and walked stealthily in the woods in her backyard, looking for a security guard. To his surprise, he saw none. Had Allison decided that he was no longer a threat to her sister? Assessing his options, he decided that he needed to have Liam come out of the house before Valerie woke up. He looked at his watch. It would be another 30 minutes before she woke up, if she still followed her usual schedule. Taking some snow in his hands and making a snowball out of it, he threw it in the direction of Liam's window. The snowball exploded on impact and did a thud much louder than he had expected. Cursing himself, he watched Valerie's window but saw no movements at all. She had always been a heavy sleeper. But not Liam.

He saw Liam's face at his window, looking in the backyard for the source of the noise. He seemed to realize what the snow on his window meant and started screening the woods. Legolas came out of the trees and waved, seeing the recognition instantly on Liam's face. The boy waved back and made a gesture for Legolas to come in the house, by his window. The lack of trees near the window would have been an issue for any man, but not for an elf. Using all his skills, Legolas climbed to the high window on the second floor, just using the bricks and lower windows to help him while Liam was opening his window. In a matter of moments, the elf was facing Valerie's oldest child, who was watching him with interest.

"You are an exceptional climber," was all he said.

"Yes, I have many years of experience," Legolas replied with a small smile.

"We don't have much time. My mother will wake up soon," Liam whispered. "Did you think about what I said? Are you ready to talk to me?"

"Yes... I think so. Although I am not sure about... where to start."

"Let me help you then. I came up with two theories," the little scholar said, pointing at many pages of notes and pages he had printed from various websites. "You either are some genetic super being, or you are coming from a different place altogether. Which one is it?"

Stunned by the brutal introduction, Legolas was destabilized. Elven scholars for one, were generally recognized for their diplomacy and subtlety. In this, Liam was his mother's son and lacked both. Scholars also had gentle tempers, he thought, watching Liam getting impatient with his delay in answering a question the child thought was simple enough. "I am... a bit of both."

"Meaning?"

"Where I come from, there are men and women like you. And my race... is considered... a superior one."

"Why?"

"Because we have... physical characteristics and knowledge that the other races do not have."

"So what are you? Are you an elf? Because I found some articles on elves. Although most of them are crap, I must admit, I still found some interesting ones on this race. They said that occurrences of elves and wizards appearing on Earth out of portals were reported in the past centuries, but that they always disappeared in the same manner a few days after, as if they were coming here to gather information and leave later."

"I have not heard of this before."

"The wizards were called Istari. One had been white, one blue, but the one that had been seen most frequently was an old man wearing grey. His last appearance was 75 years ago, in Brazil. That last time, he had been seen with another man with long silver hair, a long beard and pointy ears. Here, let me show you."

Liam went to his computer, and after typing a few words, was able to show Legolas a picture on a website. The black and white picture was old and unclear. But Legolas recognized them alright! Somewhere, somehow, 75 years before, someone had taken a picture of Mithrandir and Lord Cirdan the Shipwright as they were about to enter a portal similar to the one he had used to come here. He suddenly remembered that Mithrandir had mentioned being familiar with this world. And by some sort of miracle, a picture had been taken by a witness, and Liam had found it. He turned his gaze from the screen to the boy who was watching him attentively.

"You know them." It was not even a question. Liam had read recognition on his face.

"Yes."

"Are they your friends?"

"Not exactly. This one," he said, pointing Mithrandir, "is a wizard that had many dealings with the elves. And this other one is an elf, one of the oldest ones still living in Middle Earth. He is the lord of Mithlond, the Grey Havens, and builds ships to bring elves to Valinor. They are very close and have worked together on missions for the Valar -"

He stopped when he heard a sudden commotion in Valerie's room. Liam had heard it as well, because he turned in the direction of the door, listening intently. They heard Valerie run to her private bathroom and start vomiting. Legolas was about to go help her when Liam grabbed his arm.

"Don't go!" the child whispered. "She doesn't know you're here."

"But she needs help!"

"She doesn't need anyone to vomit, Legolas! And actually, that is great news for you. It is proof that she is still pregnant."

A bit scared by the child's cold reasoning but admitting he was right, Legolas remained hidden in the room, burning to go see Valerie who had rinsed her mouth and gone back to bed.

"She will wake us up in 15 minutes, and Paola will arrive a little later. We need to be quick," Liam continued. "I think you are not dangerous and -"

"I am a warrior," the elf replied, almost insulted.

Liam chuckled. "I have seen you with a bow. I am sure you are deadly. What I meant is that you don't seem to plan to harm us. In fact, you love my mother and my siblings a lot, I think. I have observed you."

"Yes, I love them." Legolas thought about Liam for a second before continuing. "And I know I could come to love you too, Liam, if you only gave me the chance. But you have been too busy keeping away from me, we never had the chance to get to know each other."

"My mother says I am all brains, no heart. Of course, she is joking, but I think there is a bit of truth in there."

Legolas thought of Lord Erestor, Middle Earth's greatest scholar and First Counsellor of Imladris, who was well known for his lack of emotions. "There is nothing wrong with having less emotions than the others, or hiding them well, Liam. My father for example, is well known for his coldness. But under that coldness lives an elf that has buoyant emotions, only, he is showing them exclusively to me. As long as you love your family and let them know of your love in your own way, who cares if you are cold with the others? As long as you don't shut out the people that are important to you..."

Liam was listening to him intently, understanding exactly what Legolas was trying to tell him. For years, Liam had been different than the others. More mature, more intelligent than his peers, and rejected by them for that reason, he had silently suffered and had accepted that his superiority was making him an outcast. He had shut out most of his emotions to concentrate on his studies and researches, knowing that one day, he would find his rightful place. And standing before him was a being telling him that it was okay to be different and to shut out the unimportant people, as long as he keep true to his loved ones.

"One day, Liam, if I win your mother back, you will find your place in my world. Many of my people are expecting your mother and your siblings, but they are waiting for you especially, as the greatest scholar Greenwood as ever seen. I recognize all the knowledge that you have, I see all these machines and structures that you build in your science projects, and I cannot stop thinking of everything you could build and create back home!"

Legolas was speaking passionately, and unfortunately louder than before, and Liam was lapping up everything the elf was telling him, not noticing the soft footsteps approaching his room, until the door opened and Valerie entered the room.

* * *

_How will Valerie react to Legolas' presence in her home while she had forbid him to come back? How will he explain his elven nature and his mission? _

_This will be in the next chapter... Thanks for leaving a quick review to tell me if you liked the last chapter..._

_ Annielle_


	8. Chapter 8 - The Truth about Elves

Thank you for your review of the last chapter. I appreciate hearing your comments and suggestions: Faye50free, KrystylSky, world-classgeek, Sleepy Hollow5, Aureleis, Paperlanterns86, Fi, Manwathiel-Nanethiel, Glory Bee, Abbyforth, TheQueenofErynLagasryn, KurandRobgirl, Sarafinja and Peridot Eyez.

Morwen80: one of your guesses is right... You'll see which one in a few chapters...

KKK3: While Legolas had a subconscious desire to have the prophecy children with her while they were having sex, Valerie is not an elf – she only needed to be ovulating at that time to get pregnant... I hope this helps!

_Chapter 7 ended with:_

_Legolas was speaking passionately, and unfortunately louder than before, and Liam was lapping up everything the elf was telling him, not noticing the soft footsteps approaching his room, until the door opened and Valerie entered the room._

**Chapter 8 – The truth about elves**

Valerie was extremely astonished to see Legolas in Liam's room as she was starting her tour of the bedrooms to wake her children. Her knees becoming weak, she grabbed the door frame to avoid falling to the floor.

"Legolas? What are you doing here?" she whispered at first, watching him intently. He looked sick, with dark circles under his eyes and an obvious loss of weight. But concern for his well-being was soon replaced by anger as she realized that Legolas had broken into her house and was standing in her son's bedroom. And Liam was speaking to him as if all was well, as if Legolas was still living with them! "I told you to stay away -" She turned green and put her hand on her mouth as nausea hit her with full force. Knowing her son was not truly in danger with the man that had been her lover for many weeks and that had cared for her children like a father, she ran back to the bathroom where she vomited in the toilet again.

This time around, Legolas followed her. Now that she knew he was in the house, why would he hide in Liam's room while she was sick? He knelt on the floor and put his arm around her waist, holding her hair out of the way and caressing the nape of her neck at the same time. Realizing her body temperature was too high, he asked Liam, who had followed them in the bathroom, to get a towel wet with cold water. He placed the towel on her neck and resisted when Valerie weakly tried to push him away from her.

"I am not leaving you, Vanima!" Legolas told her adamantly, using her pet name without thinking. What kind of ellon would leave his lover when she was unwell?

"Leave me alone," Valerie mumbled between two nausea. She flushed the toilet, and retched again soon after. "This is absolutely disgusting!"

Legolas was relieved that she was fighting him because she didn't want him to see her while she was sick, and not because she could not stand the sight of him anymore. He supported her until her stomach seemed to settle down. He then helped her to stand, and seeing that she was very weak, he easily lifted her and carried her to her bed. Once she was comfortable lying horizontally, he went back to the bathroom and brought back the wet towel to put it on her forehead.

"Liam, can you please bring some crackers for your mother?" he asked the boy who was following them everywhere. He immediately left the room, leaving Legolas and Valerie alone for the first time in a week.

"Are you sick like this frequently?"

"Why do you care?" she answered in her utmost obstinate tone. Her body may be weak, but her fiery spirit was all there, clearly appearing in her features and in her words.

"I care because I love you."

She snorted. "Listen, I don't know why you are here, or what you are as a matter of fact. But -"

"He is an elf, Mommy," Liam answered as he entered her bedroom with a box of crackers. He opened it and gave her one, which Valerie ate in silence while Liam sat beside her, holding one of her hands.

"Is that what he is, then?" she asked in a gentle tone that promised hell to pay when they would be alone.

Liam couldn't detect it yet, but Legolas knew her temper better. She took another cracker in the box and quietly asked her son to go wake his siblings so they could get ready for school. Liam hesitated between obeying her command or staying with her, curious to hear the conversation that would take place between his mother and Legolas. But when Valerie looked at him with insistence, he realized that staying was not an option after all. His mother's expression was the one she reserved for her worst days. The very bad ones, like when Uncle John Junior was coming over and they screamed at each other for hours. Liam left the room to wake up Sean and Phoebe, hoping to hear a few words while the conversation started. Unfortunately for him, whatever his mother and Legolas had to say to each other, they were whispering it, so the three children went downstairs without knowing if the breakup was being confirmed or if a reconciliation was taking place.

OoOoO

"Legolas, I thought I had been perfectly clear when I said that I wanted you to leave us alone."

"And I stayed away as you wished, Vanima, until Phoebe and Sean called me."

"Stop lying! They don't even know your phone number!"

"I think they used your cell phone. I assume I am still in your contacts?"

"What? They actually called you? You should have hung up! You had no right to speak to them when I told you to leave us alone!"

"Vanima, they -"

"Stop calling me Vanima, you no longer have the right to call me that! My name is Valerie!"

"Yes, _Valerie_, they called me yesterday and I did not hang up. And then I spoke to Liam. He convinced me to come meet him to discuss."

"Discuss what?"

"Me. What I am."

"Legolas!" Valerie started tiredly, "I have had some time to think about this whole thing. My sister is convinced that you are some strange being, and I panicked the other day when I saw you in the backyard. But I have realized since then that you must have been standing on a hard patch of snow. There are no such things as strange beings, and I certainly do not want you or Allison to put stupidities like these in Liam's head. He is too young to make the difference between facts and fantasy."

"Allison was right."

"Excuse me?"

"Allison was right. I have no doubt that my blood is different. Because _I am different_."

"In what sense?"

"I am not... exactly human." Having said that, Legolas grabbed a chair in a corner of the bedroom, the one he had always been using to put his clothing on before going to bed. They had started to jokingly call that chair _Legolas' wardrobe_, until Valerie had made some space for his clothes in her wardrobe and drawers. She watched him bring the chair closer to her bed, taking another cracker in her mouth.

"Alright, you can entertain me for a while," she said lightly, as if she was already dismissing the possibility that he might be telling the truth. In reality, Valerie was feeling weak in many ways. She still felt light-headed because of the morning sickness, but wouldn't show it to Legolas. She wasn't sure that he knew about her pregnancy yet. She also felt weak emotionally. She had missed Legolas dreadfully, barely sleeping because she spent her nightly hours analyzing her relationship with him and wondering if she should return his calls. His empty spot in the bed certainly didn't help when she tried not to think about him! At the office, everyone had noticed how distracted and tired she was, but no one had dared to make comments about it. If only they knew she was thinking of Legolas during their meetings instead of concentrating on the issues at hand! All these were sure signs that what she had suspected for a few weeks now was absolutely real: she was in love with the angel-looking man. Their breakup had been so sudden and unexpected that their separation had been extremely painful. She hadn't had time make the decision, to prepare herself for it. One minute he was there, the first man she had ever cared for, and the next he was gone, leaving her heart shattered into pieces. It had been her first heartbreak, from which she had not recovered yet. And she was nowhere near recovery, she realized, almost feeling giddy just because he was close to her now.

She watched him attentively while wearing a bored expression on her face and calmly eating her crackers. He talked for long minutes, and she heard about a prophecy, about a bunch of children, elves, a place called Middle Earth and a foe named Sauron, but she was not really listening, too enthralled by his sight. God, his hair looked so fine and silky, like baby's hair. How she had loved to brush it and make the braids he liked to wear on each side of his head. And his eyes! Such a light blue, like a cloudless sky in the summer... His face was so attractive when he smiled, although even when angry, his face was probably the most gorgeous she had ever seen. She paid attention to what he was saying once more, and heard him talk about a place called Greenwood, and the darkness growing in a forest, and him having to protect it with his warriors. That if she accepted to go there with her children, many people would find hope in their fight against that evil Sauron.

To hear his voice was so comforting after these days apart. And she had had such a hard time sleeping lately. She was so tired... She had been sick each morning, getting weaker with each passing day. And Legolas was there, and maybe, maybe she could rest a little while he was sitting near her, his familiar voice and presence lulling her into sleep...

Legolas knew she had stopped listening to him a while ago. But she seemed so exhausted, he didn't want to demand her complete attention. He had seen how her eyes had been trailing all over his face and his body with a dream-like expression. She missed him as much as he missed her. But would she believe his story now, after having taken a scientific approach to the facts she had witnessed? Did he have any chance of convincing her to follow him to Middle Earth?

An instant later, Valerie had completely closed her eyes and was snoring lightly, something she had never done in all those weeks of bed sharing. She must have been extremely exhausted, just like he was. He heard the front door open on the first floor as Paola entered in the house. She asked the children if their mother was feeling better, and Liam informed her that Valerie was unwell but that she didn't need help, since Legolas was there to take care of her. Paola made him repeat that sentence twice, and a moment later, Paola arrived in Valerie's bedroom, her eyes wide when she saw the man that had been suddenly banned from the house. She looked at the sleeping Valerie, saw the crackers on the bed and Legolas sitting close to Valerie, his expression clearly stating that he would not move from there anytime soon. Paola nodded to him and closed the door behind her, hoping Allison would not choose that day for a surprise visit. If these two had decided to make up, it was none of Allison's business.

Legolas heard the children get ready for school, the boys leaving first when their school bus arrived. Then Paola seemed to decide to borrow Valerie's SUV to drive Phoebe to school, since he heard Valerie's car leave the parking lot. Paola would probably not be back before at least an hour. What would he do in the meantime? He was pretty tired too, not having slept at all in the past few days. The bed was very tempting, especially with Valerie lying there, looking fragile in her sleep. He removed his shoes and carefully entered the bed, molding his body against Valerie's. How he had missed her! He put his nose against the nape of her neck, tacking a deep breath to smell the familiar scent of her skin and hair. He wondered if he would be able to feel the baby's fëa like his father had told him he had felt when his own mother had carried him. Carefully putting a hand on her stomach, he concentrated on making a connection with the child that was growing inside her body. It took him a while, but he started to faintly feel a little soul in there, trying to connect with his when it felt the probe of his mature fëa. Something was strange about that little fëa, it was very active, very eager to feel him. He kept the connection going, just appeased by the life he had created with the woman he loved. He fell asleep while his hand was still settled on her stomach.

_Valerie was in a strange dream. It felt too realistic, with all her senses being active as if she was awake. She was sitting on a bench in a wild garden, with flowers growing without restraint all around her, roses, lilies, phlox, magnolia trees and even sunflowers, and many other flowers, trees and plants she had never seen before. There even was a water garden nearby. The smell of all these flowers was invading her nostrils, and she stood to walk closer to the lilies. She touched the delicate petals, and stained her fingers with the pollen. There were many butterflies in the garden, but strangely, no bees or wasps were in sight, which was strange in such a luxurious wild garden. As she walked in the small aisles, it became obvious that the garden had been well planned out when it had been created, but that its caretakers had abandoned it a long time before. There were weeds everywhere she looked, fighting for space and hiding the flowers.. It was both beautiful and horribly sad. Valerie came back to the bench, only to find it occupied by a sublime woman who was watching her with gentle eyes._

_Valerie stopped walking, thinking she was trespassing in this woman's garden, although she didn't seem angered at all by Valerie's presence. And since Valerie had no idea how she had ended in that garden, she could hardly feel guilty about it!_

"_It is not my garden," the woman said with a musical voice. She held out her hand, inviting Valerie to sit beside her on the bench. The woman was radiant, her opalescent skin and golden hair shining under the sun light. There was something familiar about her, she radiated the same kind of aura that Legolas' had. Observing the woman more attentively, Valerie realized that she, like her former lover, had delicate pointy ears and eyes that seemed to contain all the knowledge of the world. _

"_Who are you?" she whispered, not getting closer before she knew what the woman wanted._

"_I am Galadriel."_

"_Are you Legolas' mother?"_

"_No, I do not have this honor. My friend Derenil gave birth to the one you love. This was her garden," the woman added, looking around sadly._

"_What happened to her?"_

"_She died. Like many pure people here, she was taken by cruelty and darkness."_

"_Why am I here?" Valerie asked. She specifically remembered falling asleep in her bed while Legolas was talking to her, and she had no idea how she had ended in this garden with this Galadriel. This couldn't be a dream, no, it was not a dream. She really was in this garden with the beautiful woman who was asking her again to sit beside her on the bench._

"_I wanted to talk to you, my child." The words could have been condescending, but somehow Valerie knew that Galadriel was much much older than she was. Valerie cautiously sat beside the woman, arranging her night robe around her body, self conscious about being in sleepwear in public._

"_This is where Legolas lives when he is home," Galadriel said, pointing a construction that seemed to be half-buried under a mountain. There were some warriors walking around, all extremely attractive and looking deadly with their weapons from another age. They all had long, blonde hair and pointy ears. That's when it struck her: all these people were like Legolas. This was his home, and here, everyone was like him. She was the one who was different._

"_What are you?" she asked, bewildered. "You are not human, right?"_

"_We are elves, the Eldar, the first race created by the Valar. We are living in Middle Earth, another world, and our population is spread in many realms. We currently are in Greenwood, the realm ruled by Legolas' father, Thranduil."_

"_So it is true that he is not human... Why? Why did he come to my world?"_

"_He came just for you, my child. You were born to accomplish a great destiny!"_

_Valerie remembered the prophecy Legolas had been talking about, although she had not been listening carefully. She was displeased with herself now that Galadriel was talking about it._

"_You are the woman who will be the mother of many reborn elves, the catalyst of many changes and the link between the different realms and races of Middle Earth."_

"_Why me?"_

"_Because our gods chose you, because you have what it takes to make it happen, which hardly no elven woman has. All your life has been leading you to this path, to this destiny. You are ready now."_

_Strangely Valerie, who had a suspicious nature, didn't doubt her words for a second. She knew that Galadriel was telling her the truth, and that she could choose to change her life completely and come to this world accomplish whatever deeds were expected of her. She suddenly thought of her children. "I am not leaving without my children!"_

"_You think Legolas would leave them behind?"_

_Valerie thought about how close Legolas was to her youngest children. He also seemed to be on the way of developing a relationship with Liam, her most difficult child. "No, I don't think he would."_

"_Than they can come."_

"_Do I have a choice? Can I change my mind later and come back to my world?"_

"_No. Once you make your choice, it is permanent. Either you stay in your world and never see Legolas or any elf ever again, or you come to Middle Earth and never see your world again. I know it is a most difficult choice, but you have a few months left to make it."_

"_And what if... it doesn't work with Legolas?"_

"_Do you love him?"_

"_It is a bit early in our relationship and -"_

"_Please, my child," Galadriel interrupted, "spare me your attempts at protecting your pride. Are you in love with him?"_

"_Yes.. I think?"_

"_You think?" Galadriel challenged, lifting an eyebrow._

"_Yes. I love him. I really do. But please do not tell him that!"_

"_I understand you have guarded your heart all your life, and that opening up to him is difficult for you. But you were destined to fall in love with him, and he was destined to love you beyond reason. So you will work things out, like every elven couple through the ages. You will truly understand the meaning of forever."_

"_What do you mean?"_

"_Ask Legolas. He will explain the concept to you. Unfortunately, your body is about to wake up, and I have one last thing to teach you... Should you decide to come here, and we all hope you will, you will need this," Galadriel said, putting a necklace around Valerie's neck. She looked at the pendant and saw a big emerald on a golden chain._

"_What is it?"_

"_The key to the portal. To use it, just repeat these words," and Galadriel pronounced words in an unknown language. She made Valerie repeat them until she was satisfied that the woman wouldn't forget them. "Make sure that you are the last one to enter the portal, you would not want to leave loved ones behind... You have to leave, my child. I sincerely hope to meet you in person in a few months."_

"_Wait! What if... What if I decide to stay in my world? How do I give you back the emerald?"_

_Galadriel smiled. "Your question honors you, Valerie Thompson. Should you decide to stay in your world, you can keep it. Consider it a gift... from the people who will miss your presence greatly..."_

Valerie opened her eyes, amazed by how realistic the dream had been. The flowers, their aromas, the beautiful woman that had given her a pendant... She suddenly felt an unfamiliar weight on her chest, and touching the object, discovered that she was indeed wearing a pendant. Lifting it to observe it, she realized she was wearing the exact pendant the beautiful woman had given her in her dream.

In an instant, she was on her feet, stepping backwards until her back was leaning against the bay window. Legolas, who had been woken up by her sudden movement, was watching her with sleepy eyes.

"Vanima?" he asked, realizing she was watching him with both fascination and fright. "What is wrong?" He immediately saw the emerald pendant around her neck, a jewelry she had not been wearing when they had fallen asleep. The pendant had a rudimentary look, as jewelry in Middle Earth was not as refined as the jewelry Valerie owned. "Where did you get this emerald?"

"You tell me! I dreamed of some elf-woman giving it to me and I woke up with it around my neck!"

Her voice was just about to turn hysterical. Legolas could easily make a few guesses about who had visited Valerie in her sleep, thinking of the female Valar would have that power. But he doubted that would change a thing for the woman standing before him. He slowly sat on the bed, putting his feet on the cold floor. He was about to stand when she yelled at him to stay away from her. He sat more comfortably on her bed and she visibly relaxed.

"What is happening to me, Legolas? Why me?"

He understood that whoever had visited her in her sleep must have told her about the prophecy and about her necessary departure to Middle Earth.

"That is a question I asked myself many weeks ago," he admitted truthfully. "I wondered why I had to come here, to this unknown world to find a woman that had been chosen by our gods to change our world. I... hesitated greatly, to say the least. But when I saw you..."

"I know," was all she replied, watching him intently. They both knew it had been love at first sight. They were soul-mates, destined to be together and love each other until one of them died. His own admission that he had had doubts made her feel much better. He had been uncertain, destabilized, just like she was at the moment. "What are you, Legolas?"

"An elf."

She rolled her eyes. "No shit, Sherlock!" The tension dropped significantly in the room as she tried to suppress a smile. "Legolas, elves don't exist here. Only in books, in movies... The authors define them to make their fiction interesting, and the characteristics change between stories. What is an elf, in reality? Are they all warriors?"

"All warriors? Why would you ask such a question?"

"Excluding that elven woman, all the elves in my dream seemed to be warriors."

"Where were you?"

"In your mother's abandoned garden, with.. what was her name? Galariel?"

"Lady Galadriel? She brought you back home? Tell me what you have seen!"

Valerie's expression suddenly turned suspicious, and he knew he was about to be tested. She had had trust issues all her life, it was to be expected that she would try to see the truth in his words. "No, Legolas. _You_ tell me what your home looks like."

Legolas started describing the fortress in the caves, the garden no one but his father and himself had permission to enter, full of memories of his poor mother. He described the yard behind the main gate, the area where the warriors were practicing, their weapons, their uniform... He even gave a very detailed description of Lady Galadriel, from her physical appearance to the reaction one was having when near such an extraordinary and superior being.

"That's a question of perspective," Valerie mumbled. To him, Lady Galadriel was an incredible being while for Valerie, any elf was extraordinary. And there had been so many of them! Sometime during his speech, she had turned around, putting her forehead on the cold window. It was real. It was all real!

"Why do you say that?"

She turned around to face him again. "I didn't really feel different with her than when I am with you. I always knew you were different... Exceptional... Everyone is different around you, as if we were all feeling of lesser importance around you..."

Legolas was immediately on his feet, slowly walking in her direction. "Vanima -"

"Stop calling me Vanima! If all the elven women look like your Lady Galadriel, I am far from being beautiful by your standards!"

"Vanima," he insisted, this time taking her face delicately in his hands. "You are the most beautiful person I have ever seen. You have erased the memories of all the ones before you. You are all that I want."

"All the ones before me? You make it seem crowded! How many women have you been with?" she asked, feeling guilty for her jealousy but wanting to know anyways even if she herself had never been an innocent angel in that department. Legolas immediately became uncomfortable and Valerie's suspicions immediately skyrocketed. "How many?" she insisted.

"We live a long time..."

"How long?"

"We live... that is, if we do not die from an injury... we live... well... we are... immortal?" he replied, ending his sentence like a question. He was in fact questioning how she would react to this new piece of information.

"Immortal? As in... you never die?"

"Unless we die from an injury."

"How old are you, Legolas?"

"I could give you a general idea -"

"I am sure you know your exact age, Legolas! Spit it out! Stop trying to spare me, I can stomach whatever you will tell me!"

"I am... 2,164 years old." She stared at him, her eyes widening. He could tell the figure was much higher than she had expected. But she had to understand that from his perspective, it was nothing. "I am not that old, Valerie! My father is 6,694 years old!"

She suddenly pushed him away and ran back to the bathroom, where the crackers she had eaten earlier made an unexpected appearance. Legolas decided to give her a few moments to compose herself. He soon heard the shower start and sat back on the bed, waiting to see how she would feel after that pause in their discussion. It was clear that she had needed time to regroup her thoughts.

In fact, Valerie was feeling filthy after having been sick so many times in the same morning. And she needed time to herself to think. It was clear to her that Legolas was not human, not after the blood test, not after the part where he had walked on snow. The fact was that he had physical and mental differences as compared to everyone she had ever met. The dream of Galadriel and his perfect description of what she had seen in her dream had only made things more real. Now, was she ready to live with these differences? Legolas was more than 2,000 years old! She started washing her hair, and suddenly realized that in his life time, he could potentially have been with thousands of female elves, if he had changed girlfriends every year! That certainly didn't make her feel better. And if they were anywhere close to being as stunning as Galadriel, how could she compete with that? She grabbed the first thing within her reach, in this case, the bottle of shampoo, and threw it with all her might on the mirror. The mirror didn't break, but the cap of the bottle had been ejected on impact, and the shampoo mess on the walls and floor tiles was a very satisfying sight for Valerie. She grabbed the conditioner bottle and it experienced the same fate.

She rinsed herself quickly, and grabbing a towel, dried herself in a hurry, a new thought forming in her mind. Legolas had told her weeks before that he was available for a relationship with her, but his hesitancy was now very telling. She put on a clean night robe that had been hanging behind the door and walked back to her bedroom.

Legolas turned to her when he heard her footsteps, but frowned when he saw her expression.

"Your last girlfriend... When did you break up with her?"

The subject he would have liked to avoid at all costs! Amareth! What could he tell Valerie about Amareth without ending up having a fight? Whatever way he could find, he needed to find it quickly, since every second passing was just making matters worse for Valerie.

"I broke up... before coming here."

"How delightful! And tell me, did you love her?"

"She was a good friend."

"I didn't ask you if you liked her as a friend, I asked you if you loved her!"

"Did you love the _three_ fathers of your children?" he counter-attacked, insisting on the number.

"Three?" she laughed sarcastically. "Are you going to judge me for three men while you have been with thousands of women?"

"First, I have not been with thousands of ellith - _female elves_! And you know something else? I am sure you had a lot more lovers than just three in your life! I have seen the way all these men were touching you at the launch of the Christmas issue!"

"You have no right to inquire about something that happened before I met you!"

"Oh, is that how it is going to work? Double standards? You can question me, my past, be angry with me for things that are of no concern of yours, but I cannot do the same?"

"It is not the same!" she yelled back. "What is it that people have against the fact that my children have been fathered by three different men? How can it even compare to the humongous amount of lovers that you had! You won't even tell me how long you have been with your last girlfriend!"

"You didn't ask me!"

"Well then," she replied, sarcasm heavy in her voice, "why don't you tell me?"

"Amareth and I have been in a... relationship for more or less... five decades."

"More or less five decades?"

"Yes."

"More or less five decades?" she repeated again, her tone turning hysterical. She didn't know if it was good or bad news. The good news was that if Legolas was dating for 50 years at a time, maybe he only had had 40 lovers in his entire life. The bad news was... the lover he had just broken up with had been with him for much longer than Valerie had been alive. She turned her back on him and violently shut the door behind her. She sat on the cold tiles of the bathroom, fighting the tears that were threatening to fall. This couldn't work. There was no way that she could be with Legolas under those circumstances. This was absolutely crazy. Why did she always find herself in the worst possible messes?

Legolas slowly opened the door and saw her sitting on the floor, looking quite distraught. He sat down beside her, relieved when she didn't scream at him or ask him to leave her alone.

"Vanima, before I met you, I had never truly loved," he started to explain. "I had liked ellith, but never loved one, never loved one enough to want to spend the rest of my life with her. This is what I want with you. I do not care that you had three children with three different men, and that I am the father of your fourth one -"

"How do you know about that?"

"I heard you and Allison talk about it the night that... that we had our fight. And if I had not known then, I would have known today, because I can feel the fëa of our child in you."

"The fëa?"

"The baby's soul. I can feel it." He gently turned her around so that she would face him. "Valerie, Vanima nin, I love your children, and I want to be their father. And I do not care about the other fathers, because I know that from now on, I will be the father of all your other children. Let us forget my past and your past, and let us concentrate on our future. I want to bind with you, here, in your world. I want to bring you all back to Middle Earth, and together, we will accomplish that prophecy. I promise you that I will always be there for you, support you, love you... You will be a great princess of Greenwood-"

"Princess?"

"Yes. My father is the king of Greenwood. I am the prince, the only heir to the throne."

"Galadriel had mentioned your father rules Greenwood, but never said he was king! Is there something else you forgot to tell me?"

"My father... He is not an easy ellon to live with," Legolas replied. "The loss of my mother changed him greatly. Not in a positive way."

"Things just keep getting better," Valerie sighed, putting her head on his shoulder.

"Everything will go well," he reassured her. "As long as you keep that temper of yours in check," he said, eying the shampoo and conditioner all over the walls and tiles. She chuckled in the crook of his neck. "So what do you say?" he insisted.

"About what?"

"Valerie Thompson, will you bind with me?"

"Do you have a ring?" When he looked at her with a questioning look, she sighed with fake discouragement. "What did I do to the gods to deserve this? My first marriage proposal, and I don't even get an engagement ring?"

"I did not know that you had engagement traditions too. And quite frankly, I was not expecting to propose today. Originally, I was only here to speak to Liam. But... I will get you a ring, Valerie Thompson," Legolas chuckled, "only if you accept. Otherwise, I am not spending a dime on you!"

"Some prince you are!"

"So? Is that a yes?"

Valerie kept her face in the crook of his neck, her mind racing like a wild horse. Her magazine had been sold. Her parents and brother were a disgrace to the word _family_. Her children were young enough to adapt to any new place, even if it was a different world. And they were all being offered the chance to go in some strange world, participate in a great destiny, with an elf who loved her and that she loved in return, although she was not ready to verbally admit it now... It sounded like a fairy tale. A great opportunity. One that only a fool would decline.

"Yes, Legolas, I will marry you. I will follow you to your world and accomplish this prophecy you keep talking about, although I must admit that I paid little attention to the details. And when I die -"

"You will not die. Once you bind with me and cross the portal, you will become half-elven. We will be together forever, my love!"

"Are you sure about that?"

"This is what I was told by Lady Galadriel."

"And my children?"

"Our future children will be immortal also. As for Liam, Sean and Phoebe, it is my hope that the Valar, our gods, will make them half-elven like you. They are, after all, mentioned in the prophecy as the scholar, the minstrel and the warrior. But I cannot guarantee their immortality with certainty. I am sorry."

"I do not want to see them die, Legolas! It is not in the natural order of things!"

"Then if they do not become half-elven, we will have many years to beg the Valar to give them immortality. We will sail to Valinor and get on our knees in front of them, and insist until they finally give in. We will not take no for an answer!"

Downstairs, they heard the front door open. Paola was back from driving Phoebe to school. Valerie looked at the mess in the bathroom, feeling guilty.

"Maybe I should pick up this mess. Poor Paola shouldn't have to clean it..."

Someone entered the bathroom at that moment. Someone who was not Paola.

"What is he doing here?" Allison inquired angrily.

* * *

So? Did you like the chapter? Legolas hit the wall, but recovered quite nicely... Although Allison's arrival is definitively untimaly...

I am very excited about the chapters to come, they already are in a draft version and in there... Valerie is already in Middle Earth! (I am sure you never doubted that, right?) Please review and let me know your opinion!


	9. Chapter 9 - Closing the Last Loop

_Chapter 8 ended with:_

_Someone entered the bathroom at that moment. Someone who was not Paola._

"_What is he doing here?" Allison inquired angrily._

**_Lemon alert in the next chapter!_**

**Chapter 9 – Closing The Last Loop**

Valerie was preparing coffee while Allison and Legolas sat in silence at the table, glaring at each other. Legolas knew that Allison was the only person alive who could make Valerie change her mind and decide to remain here, in this world. She had already succeeded in separating them before, and only because of Liam and Lady Galadriel had he been able to convince Valerie to really listen to him. He could not go back to this unbearable state of uncertainty! They needed to prepare their departure, make sure Valerie's pregnancy was going well and perhaps bond before they crossed the portal. Why wait until they were back in Middle Earth to officially make her his? He certainly would not take the risk of bringing her to Middle Earth and see the Lothlorien Marchwarden steal her away before their bonding! Valerie's sister was a threat to all his plans. She would either step aside voluntarily or he would make her get out of his way. There was no other possible option. And although he was generally a peaceful ellon, he would not hesitate to threaten Allison in order to secure Valerie's hand.

Allison was hiding her apprehension underneath a cold mask. The man sitting in front of her was not entirely human. She had warned her sister about him, and one week later, Valerie was back in his arms. How could her sister be so foolish and weak, disregarding her family's security while it was all that she had left? True, this Legolas was magnetic, unnaturally attractive and radiating strength. But she could also feel how deadly he was under that comely look. This was no man to annoy and challenge, and right now, his focus was entirely on Valerie, who was oblivious to it. Although his eyes never left Allison, he was following Valerie's movements in the room. She could tell he considered her a threat and she considered him the same. He was a threat to her relationship with her sister, and she would fight to keep things the way they had been before he had appeared in their lives.

"We are back together, Allison," Valerie said, putting a cup of coffee in front of her sister and another one in front of Legolas. She sat beside Legolas and he pulled her chair closer to his so they could be touching while they were seated at the table.

"Why, if you don't mind me asking? If I remember correctly, a few days ago, you called me in a panic, confirming my doubts that Legolas was not..." She searched for a word that would not add oil to the fire. "That he was not normal, I guess?"

"You were right," Valerie confirmed, taking Legolas' hand. "Legolas and I had an honest discussion about his... differences earlier today. I accepted his explanations. All is well. You can stop worrying about me."

"I hope you realize that these reassurances are nowhere near enough for me, Valerie."

"It will have to be." Valerie didn't think it would be wise to tell Allison everything Legolas had told her. Furthermore, Legolas and her had not even discussed if all this information about Middle Earth was confidential or not.

"You cannot be serious! Are you insane? I demand that you explain what is going on, and you will tell me or -"

"Or what, Allison? What kind of threats were you going to make?" Valerie's pleasant expression was gone now, and she was looking at her sister quite coldly. Legolas preferred to let the sisters talk before he intervened.

"If Legolas is what I think he is, I could take him out simply by sending federal agencies against him. I bet they would love to put their hands on him, study his blood, his entire body, run some tests... They might take interest in your pregnancy as well..."

It was one thing to threaten Legolas, but it was a totally different matter to clearly menace her unborn child, even if he was a half-elf. Allison had always been overprotective but now she was definitely crossing a line. Valerie stood and towered over her sister, putting her hand on Allison's shoulder and pressing it hard as a warning.

"My dear Allison, calling federal agencies would trigger a violent and unexpected storm in your life. I know you, I know how to take away everything you cherish, your reputation, your career, your family... I could make your own life extremely miserable, destroy it just like you would destroy mine if you were to have Legolas and my child taken away from me. Do not try to play with me, Allison, I am a lot more than you can tackle. I would not hesitate to retaliate in the vilest of manners to make you pay for this."

Allison stared at her sister for a long time, still feeling the pressure of her hand on her shoulder. She had seen a glimpse of Valerie the ruthless business woman, an attitude that had never been directed at herself in the past. This was both unexpected and most unwelcome. Her sister was slowly slipping away, all because of this Legolas.

Valerie's features quickly turned from cold anger to fake happiness while she went back to sit beside Legolas. "Now that things are clear between us, I hope you will make the right choice. We have... very little time left together. I would hate not to be in speaking terms with you during that time."

"What? What are you talking about?"

Legolas spoke for the first time. "Valerie and I are moving to my home. With the children."

"Where is it? When will you come back?"

"I am afraid we will not be coming back," Legolas said, and Allison noticed Valerie's sadness.

"Can I visit you then?" Allison asked her sister directly.

"I am afraid it won't be possible."

"Why?" Allison insisted.

"It will not be physically possible for you to visit," Legolas informed her. "I am sorry."

Allison stood and started pacing in the kitchen. "You cannot be serious! This is unreal!" Legolas could see that Valerie's sister was getting redder by the second, and that her breathing was becoming ragged and laborious.

"Calm down, Allison!" Valerie told her sister, watching her closely.

Legolas thought that Valerie seemed to know what was going on with her sister. Allison keep walking around the kitchen, going faster until she was close to running. It lasted for a few minutes, and Valerie was watching wearily, asking her to calm down, but to no avail. Allison kept moving around, talking to herself.

"This is not real!" she was mumbling. "It cannot be happening!" She suddenly stopped in front of Legolas, holding the chair to support her weakened knees. "I won't let you do it!" Allison cried at Legolas. By then, Allison could hardly breathe.

Valerie stood and grabbed her sister from behind. "Calm down!" she whispered soothingly. Allison was struggling against Valerie's stronghold, still breathing raggedly.

"Get me her pills!" Valerie asked Legolas.

"Where?"

"In her purse!"

"Where is it?"

"I have no idea! Find it!" Valerie shouted with impatience.

Legolas ran all over the house, looking for the purse while listening to Valerie who kept whispering to Allison to calm down while she could barely breathe. When he went back to the kitchen empty-handed, he saw that Allison was lying on the floor, supported by Valerie. "Try her car!" Valerie commanded. Legolas went outside and ran to Allison's car, happy to see that the door was unlocked and Allison's purse was on the floor. He grabbed it quickly and looked for a little bottle containing pills, which he easily found despite the mess that was in the purse.

He ran back to the house and asked Valerie how many she needed. "Two," she replied, holding up her hand. Once she got them, she put the pills in Allison's mouth and closed her lips, massaging her throat to help her swallow.

"What is happening?" Legolas asked. He had never seen someone react like Allison had just done.

"It was a panic attack. She'll be much better in a few minutes. She will be exhausted once she is back. Will you please carry her to the guest room?"

Legolas lifted Allison from the cold kitchen floor and followed Valerie to the extra bedroom. "Is this happening frequently?" he asked, curious.

"Once in a while. Enough for her to have medication for it. It was triggered by our news, Legolas. She realized we would leave and never come back. She will not be taking this well."

Legolas gently put Allison on the bed. "When will Paola be back?"

Valerie looked at her watch. "In 15 minutes, I think. Why?"

"Won't we need the car to bring Allison to see a doctor?"

"She is a doctor! She told me everything I have to do when it happens and she certainly doesn't want her colleagues to see her arrive in this state at her hospital."

"So what do we do?"

"We wait. She is sleeping now. She is breathing almost normally now. Legolas?"

"Yes?"

"Is there any chance that... she could come with us?"

"I beg your pardon?"

"Can she come to Greenwood with us?"

"Valerie... I am not sure it is a good idea..."

"Why not?"

"First, she is not part of the prophecy."

"So? Did I hear correctly earlier when you said that you are not completely sure that Phoebe is the warrior of the prophecy?"

"Yes, well, with the archery talent that she inherited from you, I am not absolutely sure but I think we can safely assume that she is, even if she is really young."

"But you will bring her nevertheless?"

"Yes, of course! I would never leave her behind! She is your daughter and I love her!"

"Then we can bring Allison."

"Valerie, please be realistic, I cannot -"

"We either bring her, or we all stay here," Valerie replied stubbornly. She was sitting on the bed beside her sleeping sister, caressing Allison's dark locks.

"She does not like me."

Valerie snorted. "And your father won't like me. I can tell by the way you said he is difficult to live with. But I love you enough to go and try to be nice with him. If I can do that, you can do the same for Allison."

"Vanima," Legolas sighed. "You do not understand. I truly cannot guarantee that she can come. What if she cannot cross the portal? We leave her behind? I cannot take that risk."

"I cannot ask you more than this, Legolas. We can try to bring her, and if she cannot come, she will remain here. But we will at least try, okay?"

Legolas thought about it for long minutes, and eventually nodded. He needed to bring Valerie and her children to Middle Earth. If bringing Allison was guaranteeing their presence beside him in Greenwood, he could make that small sacrifice.

"Where are we going?" asked Allison's weakened voice.

"_You_ are going back to sleep," Valerie whispered to her sister, and gave her a kiss on her forehead. "I will tell you later."

"I cannot sleep. I want to know what is going on," Allison insisted despite her exhaustion.

"Legolas, can I please be alone with my sister?"

Legolas was reluctant to leave Valerie after their separation, and his hesitancy was obvious to Valerie.

"Legolas, I promised to marry you. You can go for a few hours, I just need to spend some time with my sister. I swear that you will still be welcome when you come back."

Valerie was smiling encouragingly, trying to give him some confidence that he would indeed be welcome when he came back in a few hours. He stood, pulled her out of the bed where she was sitting and gave her a long kiss that was sealing their earlier promises. The kiss became more passionate, until Allison mumbled that they should get a room. Valerie laughed happily, and Legolas gave her one last kiss before leaving the guest bedroom. When he came out of the house, he met Paola, who was coming back with Valerie's car. He had a sad thought for Valerie's old nanny. She would finally be able to retire, but they would make sure to leave behind enough for her not to worry about money for the rest of her life.

All the while, in the guest bedroom, Valerie was trying to explain to her sister that extraordinary beings lived in a different world, and that she was destined to go there with her children. Under normal circumstances, Allison would not have believed the story. But Legolas was proof enough, along with Valerie's new pendant. If Valerie decided to believe everything Legolas had said and to follow him practically anywhere, Allison could not stop it. All she could do was tag along, hoping to protect Valerie if she was to be disappointed. After all, there was still a slim chance that they all were delusional and would end up in an asylum.

OoOoO

"I think Sean and Phoebe were happy to see me," Legolas told Valerie later that evening, while they were getting ready for bed. Everyone else was asleep, including Allison who was resting in the guest room with the welcome help of strong sleeping pills. She had recovered from her panic attack but had remained weak and tearful for the rest of the day.

"Liam was happy too, my love," Valerie replied, turning her back to him to remove her clothes. It felt strange, having Legolas back in her bedroom. It was a little awkward. They had kissed earlier during the day, chaste exchanges of people tiptoeing around each other. Nothing more had happened. She was unsure about the next steps. Would they simply sleep side by side, taking all their time to reconcile, or would everything be back to normal as if a week had not passed since they had last been together?

"Don't," Legolas said, stopping her as she was about to put on her nightdress. "Turn around."

Valerie slowly turned, keeping her nightdress in front of her to hide her nudity. Legolas was sitting on the bed, completely naked, his body tense as he watched her eagerly. She had forgotten how his tattoos were impressive on his muscular torso, how his features looked almost animalistic when he was watching her with this hunger in his eyes.

"Come," he said, extending his hand for her to take. She dropped the nightdress on the floor and walked to the bed, taking the hand he was offering. He quietly pulled her on the bed, until she was kneeling in front of him. They stared at each other, the tension increasing between them. He finally moved, gently taking her face in his hands, his thumbs caressing her satin cheeks. He brought his mouth close to hers, but did not kiss her. Not yet.

"Valerie... I know it is difficult for you... but I need you to tell me what you feel for me."

She looked at him, stricken, not expecting such a request. She had thought everything had been said earlier in the morning. Legolas knew he would hear her pronounce the words he longed to hear before the night was over. He would not fall asleep until he had heard them. He needed it, needed the assurance that his love was returned. He slowly took her lips, and Valerie visibly relaxed in his arms. She moaned against his lips, and his hands left her face to slowly caress her neck, her shoulders, and moved down to her bosom. He cupped her breasts, slightly swollen since the last time he had seen her, a sure sign that her pregnancy was progressing. The nipples were erected as he played with them, and Valerie stopped kissing him, putting her head in the crook of his neck.

"I missed you," she whispered against his skin. It was a good start, but not quite the words he was waiting for. She started giving him little kisses on his shoulders, her hands lovingly touching his pectorals and his abs. They went down even more, going in the direction of his engorged length. His hands caught hers before they reached their target, and gathered them in her back, stopping the caresses that would bring his release far too soon.

"Not yet, Vanima. I need to rediscover you." He slowly pushed her down on the mattress, and lied on top of her, his knees between her open legs. He kissed her again, not quite believing that he was here, in her arms, and that he would get the future he had wished for. Valerie kissed him back passionately, her lower body moving up and down against his. She had always participated eagerly in their love play, with an open-mindedness he had never seen before in one of his lovers. It absolutely drove him insane, how she could make him lose control and forget everything but his desire to glove himself in her velvet warmth. Once more, he lost this battle and decided to just taste a little bit in advance what was to come, just for a few seconds. He slowly drove himself into her, marveling at how sensuous and tight she was.

"Legolas," she moaned under his skilled mouth. "I missed you," she repeated. He moved into her core for long minutes, Valerie breathing heavily in his ears while Legolas was unable to stop under the assault of pleasure. But it was not what he had wanted, what he had planned. He wanted to honor her body, rediscover it, hear her lose herself in delight like he used to, before their separation. He needed to know that he still could turn her into overcome and molten flesh.

She protested when he withdrew from her core, but moaned in delight when his mouth went to tease her nipple while his fingers replaced his length between her legs. He kissed, licked and gently bit into every piece of flesh he could find, his skilled fingers bringing her a first release that had her moan softly. But it was not enough for him. He wanted her at his mercy, unable to think, and for that, she needed to come more than just once. His mouth went down on her stomach, until it found the engorged and overexcited flesh of her core. He gently sucked on her clitoris, earning some feverish pleas to keep going, to take her, to make her come... Legolas complied, listening to the chanting he had created when Valerie came a second time.

"Legolas," she moaned, trying to pull his head so he would finally understand that she wanted him to take her, to stop teasing her with his fingers and mouth. The elf caressed her legs, her stomach, her breasts as he was coming back up to her face. She grabbed his head and pulled him for a kiss while she put her legs around his waist to have his lower body closer to hers.

"Not like this," he said, detaching her legs and kneeling on the bed. He made her kneel also, and turned her body around so they both faced the huge mirror hanging on the wall. "I want to see you." He gently pushed her on her hands and opened her legs, caressing her firm bottom. "Are you ready?" he asked her.

"I believe I asked you to make love to me many times tonight, and so far, you are the one who is stalling -"

She did not even have time to complete the sentence that he was taking her, watching her eyes close and expression change as he started to thrust into her. Gently at first, unsure if her pregnancy would change anything, but when she started to move with him, he knew that she could take more.

"Don't close your eyes, look at me," he commanded, and she stared at him in the mirror. Legolas started kissing her back, her shoulders while one of his hands was going back to her clitoris.

"Legolas, _fuck_, it feels so good... I will..."

"Tell me what I want to hear, Vanima!"

"You know..." she sighed.

"Yes, I do," he said, increasing the pace. "But I want to hear it... from your lips... I want to watch your face... as you tell me..."

"Legolas," she moaned, watching his face in the mirror. His expression was concentrated, almost serious, his eyes feral, darker than the usual light blue that she loved. His lips were swollen, but so were hers, because of all their kissing. He put his arms around her waist and lifted her body so she would kneel like he was. She turned her head and he kissed her passionately while his hands caressed her body.

"You were made for me, I love everything about you," he murmured in her ear. "We are a perfect fit, can't you feel it?"

"Yes, I know... I only want you, Legolas... No one else... Oh god, yes!" she encouraged him.

"Tell me, then!" he insisted.

"I... I love you," she whispered gravely, watching his reaction in the mirror, afraid that he might react strangely. She had never told a man these words before, it was unknown territory for her. Legolas stopped moving into her and closed his eyes, completely immobile for a few moments.

"Legolas?" Valerie asked, concerned. She turned her head, trying to catch a glimpse of his expression. "Did I say something wrong?"

He opened his eyes immediately, feeling the concern in her voice. He kissed her sweetly, gently, for a long time. "You didn't say anything wrong. You said... exactly what I needed to hear.."

She moved a little, uncomfortable. "What is wrong?"

"My back and legs are aching," she pitifully answered.

He gently withdrew from her and allowed her to lie on her back. He went back above her and took her again, the seconds that their physical separation had lasted feeling too much for him. "We are not done with this," he reminded her with a feral smile.

"Do your worst!" she challenged him. Legolas laughed heartily, relieved that the last taboo had been broken between them. She loved him, she would move to Middle Earth with him, marry him... He had won everything he was yearning for.

That night, he took her once, twice more, until she begged him to let her sleep. She woke up in the morning, cradled in his arms and absolutely sated, in the middle of stained bedsheets, pillows and comforter. Paola would certainly complain about Legolas' return, if only for that reason...

OoOoO

"There is only one month left before we leave, and we still haven't told the children," Allison said. The surgeon had taken an indefinite sick leave from the hospital and was practically living with the rest of the family. That morning, she was sitting at the kitchen table with Valerie while Legolas was at Kate's, saying goodbye for good. He had decided to cut the ties with his first friend in this world early, to ensure the disappearance of the Thompsons would not be linked to his pretend departure to his northern country.

"I certainly don't want them to talk to anyone! Imagine if they told Mother or Father!" Valerie replied. "But I think Liam suspects something. Did you notice that he started sorting out his books? In a few neat piles, his favorite ones clearly identified with stickers?"

"You think he is getting ready like we are?"

"It's obvious. And you know that credit card I allow him to use to buy his stuff? He always has been reasonable using it. Well it's been two weeks that he is using it like a madman."

"Won't you put a stop to it?"

"Not when I see what he buys - books and encyclopedias that cover various subjects. As if... he wants to build new things, understand basic engineering principles to be used in... an environment not so technologically advanced."

"Liam is getting ready then," Allison confirmed. "And what about Sean and Phoebe?"

"Sean will be devastated to know he cannot bring all his instruments. I was thinking of bringing his violin and his guitar, maybe his saxophone. The piano and the battery will have to remain here. And there is not much Phoebe would want to bring. Maybe her new bow, her favorite toys... At least, she is not attached to many items that require electricity."

"I cannot believe you are choosing to move to a world equivalent to the Middle Ages. It will be almost... barbaric!"

"You made the same choice, if I remember correctly, and are making preparations as eagerly as I do."

The two sisters had spent the last month discreetly preparing their departure. Valerie, remembering that Legolas was a prince, had decided not to show up empty-handed in his realm. She didn't want to be considered a social climber, especially by Legolas' father, if he was as disagreeable than Legolas had made it sound. When faced with the problem of converting her money into something of worth in Middle Earth, it had been Legolas who had suggested to bring gold. But after selling her house, which she was now temporarily leasing to the new owner, selling all her investments and other important belongings, the conversion in gold bars was found not to be very practical. Between Valerie and Allison, they would have to carry more than 150 gold bars. Allison had then suggested to buy jewelry instead, and both sisters had eagerly bought multiple precious stones, who could be more easily carried to Middle Earth. They had also bought quite a few gold bars.

Valerie played with her wedding ring, already getting tight due to her swollen fingers. The diamond, in the middle of emeralds representing Greenwood, had been chosen by Legolas, who had given it to Valerie two weeks before, during a secret ceremony. They had organized the wedding quickly and discreetly, to ensure John Thompson's lawyers would not hear about it. The family had gone on vacation for a week in the Caribbeans, and the ceremony had taken place on a beautiful beach with white sand and turquoise water, early in the morning before the beach became crowded. Legolas had found the scenery absolutely amazing, and had taken many pictures to bring back to show his father and friends. That is, after he had recovered from the plane trip. No one would ever forget the near panic attack he had had when the plane had taken off and landed, and only Allison's pills had successfully calmed him down. On the way back, he had taken the pills even before boarding the plane, and in his intense state of relaxation, had looked outside the window for most of the trip, pointing at clouds, houses and lakes like a child would do. Phoebe had enjoyed that trip tremendously, while the rest of the family had been slightly ashamed of his behavior in front of the other passengers.

Their wedding had been a simple ceremony during which Legolas and Valerie had vowed eternal love to each other, surrounded by the children and Allison. Legolas had said a few words in Sindarin, translating them later for Valerie. Later that night, when they had made love the first time as husband and wife, Legolas had asked Valerie to repeat the same words in Sindarin, their elven binding vows, and they had been surrounded by a blinding light. The appearance of the light had greatly satisfied Legolas, as it meant that their binding had been blessed by the Valar, the elven gods. They had immediately felt an indescribable communion of spirit that had heightened their love and pleasure to unexpected levels. In the following hours, Valerie had started feeling the strange side effects of an elven binding. She somehow always knew how Legolas felt when he was relatively close, and she could located him easily as well, without hearing him or seeing him. It was both strange and wonderful to Valerie, this link, this closeness, the perfect sharing of their soul. That is after she had finally accepted that her feelings and thoughts were no longer private, at least for Legolas. They now shared one fëa, for eternity, and it only made what was happening to her family more real.

Allison, who still had had moments of doubts until the wedding, had started participating more actively in the preparations after the wedding had taken place. She had secretly told Valerie that she hoped to find such love, were she allowed to go in Middle Earth with the rest of the family. She understood that Legolas could not guarantee her passage in the portal, just like he could not predict her fate. Should the Valar accept her presence in Middle Earth, would she remain human or become half-elven? There was a lot of uncertainty for Allison, but she prepared her departure as if she was sure she would be successful. For her, coming back alone and going on with her life while her sister and the children were in another world was not an acceptable option.

"Will you bring something for the babies?" Allison asked, while she was filling the last documents to resign from her position at the hospital. These documents would be delivered the day after their departure, to ensure their family wouldn't hear about it beforehand. She had made arrangements for her patients' files to be forwarded to some colleagues, and had prepared all the evaluation reports about the residents she had been training. Her apartment had been sold as well, along with her car and her investments. She was practically ready, as opposed to Valerie, who had to pack for four people.

Valerie put a hand on her stomach, which was already showing signs of pregnancy quite early considering she was only 11 weeks pregnant. This had been a wonderful and scary surprise. Allison had scheduled an ultrasound for Valerie, after Legolas had expressed concerns that his connection with the baby's fëa was hyperactive and seemed to differ from a connection to the next. The explanation was quickly found when two small children had been seen in her womb. It had been too early to determine the gender of the children, but Legolas was sure they were little ellyn – _male elves - _since the prophecy mentioned they were reborn kings.

"I don't think there is anything I can bring that will be of help," she sighed. "There is no electricity there, we are practically walking in the Middle Ages!"

"Diapers perhaps?"

"Why bring a box of diapers when we will run out after a week? And we certainly will not bring a two-years supply for twins! We are not bringing a truck with us! Although with a truck, we could bring Sean's piano!" she reflected, thoughtful.

"No truck!" Allison cut in. "Sometimes I think you are mental! Furniture?"

"Legolas will have a carpenter build two cribs and the rest of the furniture. He told me he would find a nanny, to help me with the babies and with Phoebe. He has someone in mind already. God, how I will miss Paola! It is strange to think she won't be there to help me raise the babies!"

"She is getting too old for this, Val. She needs to retire. Did you prepare her gift?"

"Yes, the money will be wired in her account the day of our disappearance. She shouldn't worry about money for a while. My letter to her is ready, at the notary. Did you bring him yours?"

"Yes, I did. Did you... leave a letter for Mom and Dad, or for John Junior?"

"No. And I don't intend to. But I won't... be mad if you leave them something. You were always closer to them..."

"I might... I have not quite decided what to do with them yet. This is my last decision of importance. So back to the babies, will you bring clothing?"

"Legolas says the seamstress will do the clothing for all the children."

"My my... Will you have to lift a finger, get anything productive done? Or will you become a lazy, useless lady?"

"If I understand correctly, I am expected to create links between the various races in Middle Earth, whatever that means. I am also expected to help administering the realm. And I was thinking that I could take care of the garden that used to belong to Legolas' mother. By the way, remind me to ask Liam to bring gardening books with us. And in exchange for all that? I will no longer have chores to do!" Valerie laughed.

"What about our clothing?" Allison asked. "You mentioned a seamstress would do the children's clothing, but do we have to bring our own clothes?"

"I suggest you bring a couple of pairs of jeans, since they don't have denim in Middle Earth. Be warned that ellith –_ female elves - _don't wear pants, and that we will be frowned upon when we wear ours."

"Screw them!" Allison chanted while signing the final document. "That's it. My resignation. The end of my career as a renowned surgeon." There was sadness in her voice.

"I am sure you will become a renowned healer in Middle Earth. This is not the end of your career in medicine. Just bring some of your instruments, and you can show them how things are being done in a modern world! Did Legolas tell you many of his soldiers are regularly injured in battle? That should keep you busy!"

"What about you? What expertise will you bring, other than your deficient gardening skills and quite amazing social skills?"

"First, I am bringing my willingness to have children in a world where elves do not want to have children anymore. Can you imagine? I will be the only pregnant woman! I will be basking in everyone's attention! I expect you to bow to my greatness like the others -" Valerie barely avoided the pen that Allison threw in her direction. "Stop trying to hurt me! I am pregnant, in case you haven't noticed!"

"You are getting too big for anyone not to notice!" Allison teased good-heartedly.

"And this is where my second expertise comes into play! You will like this..." Valerie murmured conspiratorially.

"What?"

"I will bring fashion to Middle Earth!"

Allison looked at Valerie as if she had grown a second head. "You will have to explain that one."

"Legolas told me that Silvan elves like the Greenwood people are somewhat considered more primitive than the Sindarin or Noldo elves. So... Since first impressions are important in this case, my staff at Y&S is preparing for both of us a whole new wardrobe, inspired by Middle Ages and 19th century English dresses. You should have seen the drawings they submitted! They did an amazing job, and we selected such nice fabrics -"

"Won't they be suspicious about these dresses? How did you justify that?" Allison cut worriedly. "They might report this to Father, and they might try to investigate what happened to us after our disappearance..."

"They think we will use them for a special issue about history. The dresses will be used for the photo shoots, and then, they will mysteriously disappear..."

"But the magazine has been sold, and I am not sure the new owners will like the idea."

"Who cares? I changed all my employees' contracts two weeks ago, and they are now entitled to great packages should the new owners decide to let them go. I have them all excited about this next issue, and the team is almost ready with ten dresses for you and twenty for me. What more could you ask?"

"Why do you get twice as many dresses than I do?" Allison asked, outraged.

"See? I knew you would like my idea! And in case you don't remember, I am getting bigger, and this is just the beginning. I am not planning to spend my life in maternity dresses while you parade in the most stunning gowns these people will have ever seen! So, I have a maternity wardrobe and a regular one!" Valerie replied, smiling in triumph. "I will bring them home in two weeks. This is the moment in the conversation where you should be thanking me, Allison."

"Thank you, Val."

They heard the front door open, and Valerie knew it was Legolas, just by the waves she received through their link.

"Quel andune, Melamin! - _Good afternoon, my love,_" she called in a hesitant Sindarin.

Legolas had started to teach them Sindarin, and even if it was a melodic language, it was very difficult to learn. The children were picking it up faster than Valerie and Allison. They had renounced learning to write it for now, the beautiful characters too complex to learn when you could hardly understand more than mere words. Legolas had said that a scholar called Bronadon would more than likely take over their teaching once they arrived in Greenwood.

Legolas entered the kitchen and answered in the same language, speaking words too fast for them to understand more than "Kate", "sad," and "friend". But Valerie could feel he was sad to leave behind the woman who had taken him under her wings. But it was out of question to bring another person with them in Middle Earth.

"Did you leave some gold?" Allison asked in English, knowing Legolas wanted to help Kate like Valerie and her wanted to help Paola.

"I hid it in my room. She will find it when she decides to clean the room to rent it to someone else. And I left her the name of the jeweller who likes to buy them."

"How was she?" Valerie asked.

"She was sad. She asked me to promise to come back one day. I told her it was highly unlikely. She asked for my email address... I told her I did not have one. She was convinced that I did not like her, that I wanted to avoid to be in contact with her again. It took me a while to convince her otherwise..."

"She will be happier here," Valerie said, trying to comfort him.

"I know," he said, kneeling in front of her and snaking his arms around her waist. They observed each other for a long time, Legolas sending her his emotions through their connection. He was glad to see her, excited that they were about to leave for his world and absolutely relieved that she had accepted to bind with him before they left. She gave him a chaste kiss, not understanding why he was relieved that she had accepted to get married before they crossed the portal.

Legolas knew she couldn't understand why it had been so important to him. She didn't know that in Middle Earth lived another ellon that could have been her mate. Haldir, Marchwarden of Lothlorien, formidable warrior, who could have given her an easier and quieter life, an ellon who could seduce an elleth in the blink of an eye... He had been afraid that Haldir could have taken Valerie from him, were they to arrive in Middle Earth unbound. He had not dared take the risk of losing her. And now... She was his! For eternity, in front of the Valar... His, and his only.

He studied her facial features carefully. Ever since their binding, he had noticed that he could not look at another woman and appreciate her looks. That was part of the magic of an elven binding; in order to be enthralled by your mate for an eternity, the shared connection created an unavoidable impression that your mate was the most attractive elf alive, both physically and mentally. And although he had definitely been thinking that Valerie was stunning, he had been quite aware that as compared to an elleth, Valerie was different but less beautiful. And now... he couldn't even remember what he had found attractive in Amareth, or even in Holly, Valerie's employee, who was also attractive. Even Allison, who had her own brunette style, was now absolutely ordinary in his eyes. Valerie was now the center of his universe, and almost all he could think of. She smiled to him, sensing his awe and absolute happiness. He gently grabbed the back of her head and kissed her hungrily, demanding entrance in her mouth, access that she granted with a soft moan. Only Allison's loud throat clearing made them realize they were not alone.

"You guys are like little bunnies," Allison complained. "Can't you keep your hands off each other for ten minutes?"

"We haven't been together for three hours!" Valerie protested, blushing violently. Since their binding, they had been making love many times a day. And Allison, who was now living with them, was quite aware of the frequency of their couplings and continuously joked about it.

"How are my sons?" Legolas asked, caressing Valerie's little bump. A good way to change the subject to more innocent grounds. He closed his eyes, concentrating to connect his fëa with the babies'.

"They seem to be asleep," he murmured after a while. "Were you sick today?"

"Not more than usual," Allison answered, the doctor in her coming out. "But her pressure is a little high."

"So I took another day off," Valerie completed. Her pregnancy was taking its toll. She never had been so sick and tired during her previous pregnancies, and she was quite relieved to know that Allison was getting a quick refresher on general obstetrics from a colleague, to ensure she would know how to face any difficult situations.

"We are leaving soon," Legolas reminded her. "Allison is almost ready, but what about you?"

"The employees' contracts have been updated. The next issue is planned. I cannot do anything else, Legolas. My disappearance needs to be a surprise. One morning, I will simply not show up to work... The kids will not go to school... and they will never find us ever again..."

"You are sure you do not wish to say goodbye to your family?"

"I am. My only family is coming with us. And Paola... will receive reassurances that we are not dead, that we left for a better life, and she will have money to live comfortably... This will close the last loop."

OoOoO

"I cannot believe you agreed to bring a piano," Allison complained while she was helping Legolas to push the rolling platform on which sat a small upright piano. "Honestly, couldn't Sean learn to live without a piano?"

"I do not mind," Legolas replied. This topic had already caused many fights between Valerie and her sister in the past week. He actually was glad that Valerie had found this small piano for Sean. The young musician had been able to bring most of his instruments, except the battery. This instrument was being left behind without any guilt by Legolas, who had doubted his people would have appreciated the loud banging sounds that could hardly be described as music.

Liam's books and various supplies were already in the woods, with the items that the ladies had decided to bring, which were very reasonable. The adults had brought their jewels and gold bars, and a lot of clothing, which Legolas had not been authorized to see. Their new dresses had kept Valerie and her sister in the bedroom for hours, happily exclaiming about how beautiful they were. Valerie had brought her bow while Allison had brought a medical bag and supplies that had been carefully chosen, although the drugs themselves would expire relatively quickly. Phoebe had only brought her bow and arrows, and a few tows.

If Legolas was right, the portal would open in less than an hour. He wanted to make sure that everyone would be ready to cross the door to Middle Earth when the portal would open since he had no idea how long it would remain available. Since Lady Galadriel had advised Valerie to ensure to be the last one to enter the portal, he wanted to make sure that the entire family, including his wife, would be in the woods at least half an hour before the portal opened. But it was colder than usual outside, and Valerie had insisted that she and the children remain in the house until the last minute.

"We are almost there," Legolas encouraged Allison, who was getting tired of pushing the piano on the frozen ground. Legolas had made a pathway in the snow to help them with the transport of the goods in the woods. He knew the policemen investigating the disappearance would be confused by the traces they left behind and the sudden vanishing of any evidence where the portal would be.

Allison simply grunted, and Legolas looked ahead to see the area where he expected the portal to appear. He started swearing in Sindarin when he saw a thin, transparent veil standing in the middle of the small clearing.

"What is it?" Allison asked, dumbstruck.

"That's our portal!" Legolas cried. "Get them here! Now!" he yelled when she didn't move into action right away. Allison turned around and started running in the direction of the house, calling Valerie at the top of her lungs. With the rush of adrenaline, Legolas was able to push the piano by himself all the way to the portal. When he tried to push a box through the veil, the box didn't go through. Swearing once more, he realized two things: one, they needed Valerie's emerald and the incantation to open the portal, and two, he had started swearing a lot since he met his wife, and his father would be greatly displeased by this blatant disrespect of his royal station.

* * *

_This is it – in the next chapter, Valerie goes to Middle Earth! The chapters 10 and 11 are ready and my beta reader should review them shortly. I have written so many chapters in the past weeks, I have a lot of inspiration. I can't wait to publish everything I have written so far!_

_Many thanks to Morwen 80, Dorothea Blackmoor, world-classgeek (I am not sure about Nienna yet, the story line I am working with doesn't go that far), Paperlanterns86, SleepyHollow5, purpleXorchid, Fi, faye50free (I don't think her parents are worth the time, don't you think?),foofie01, Bubbles8231999, KKK3 (you are right, Allison is a tad overprotective), KurandRobgirl and Peridot Eyez. _

_To Glory Bee, blackunicorne, Abbyforth, Aureleis and Manwathiel-Nanethiel, who have all expressed the desire to see Allison go to Middle Earth earlier this time: Legolas has no idea if the Valar will allow her to cross the portal with them. You will see their decision in the next chapter..._

_Last but not least, thanks to Cleelake and Morwen80 for their private messages._


	10. Chapter 10 - Middle Earth

_Chapter 9 ended with:_

_With the rush of adrenaline, Legolas was able to push the piano by himself all the way to the portal. When he tried to push a box through the veil, the box didn't go through. Swearing once more, he realized two things: one, they needed Valerie's emerald and the incantation to open the portal, and two, he had started swearing a lot since he met his wife, and his father would be greatly displeased by this blatant disrespect of his royal station._

**Chapter 10 – Middle Earth**

"We will never come back here? Ever?" Phoebe asked with a small voice.

"No, sweetheart. We talked about this before. We are leaving to go live in Legolas' house, in a little town called Greenwood. Legolas' father has a huge home, and we will -"

"Mom? Aunt Allison is running in the backyard, and waving like a lunatic," Liam said, watching his aunt with interest. He had rarely seen Allison in such a state, and found he quite like to see her act like his mother.

"What?" Valerie suddenly realized the only reason why her sister would be panicking like this was because they were late and would miss their only opportunity. "We have to go!" she told her children. She pushed Phoebe and Sean into action, completely forgetting the coats she had prepared for their wait in the cold night. She violently opened the backyard door and distinctly heard her sister scream that the portal was already open.

"Run to Aunt Allison!" she told her youngest children, and they started running towards their aunt. Liam was frozen on the spot. "Liam? What are you waiting for?"

"What if Aunt Allison cannot come with us?"

"She will be with us!" Valerie screamed with impatience and with a certainty she was far for feeling.

"How do you know for sure?" he insisted.

"Can we argue on our way there?" She grabbed his arm and pulled him out of the house.

"We didn't lock the door!"

"Liam, there is nothing left that we care about in the house. Let's go!"

Valerie started running, supporting her stomach with one hand and still holding Liam's arm with the other, until Liam realized that she was holding his hand because she was scared he wouldn't follow her. She needed his help, not his resistance. He pulled his arm out of her grip, and put it around her waist while they ran. "We are nearly there," he encouraged her. His mother had been sick for many months because of her pregnancy, and she was weak. They soon entered the clearing, where Legolas was pacing and Allison, Phoebe and Sean trying to catch their breath.

"Vanima! We need your emerald!"

Since the day she had dreamed of Lady Galadriel and had awoken with the emerald on a mithril chain around her neck, Valerie had been wearing it at all times, too afraid to lose it to put it away. She pulled the jewel out of her shirt, and held it in front of her. "What should I do?"

"You know the incantation! Say it while you hold the emerald."

Since she had started learning Sindarin, Valerie recognized some of the words in the incantation, but some others were still not familiar. She pronounced the words as best as she could, hoping she was not making any mistakes. She could see Legolas mouthing the words in front of her, and he was nodding his encouragement. He smiled when she was done, and told her she had made no mistake. The portal started glowing and became larger, and Legolas immediately started pushing the boxes through it.

"You don't want to check if it is safe on the other side of the portal?" Valerie asked.

"We have no time! Let's push all the material immediately, and then I will check if it is safe for us to go through."

Allison and Liam started helping him to push the piano, and the rest of the various boxes. Valerie was holding the hands of her youngest children, her heart beating wildly. This was it. Her last moments in her world. In a few minutes, she would leave everything but her loved ones behind. She was forfeiting technology and its comforts, many friends, a relatively secure life. It still was time to change her mind...

Legolas suddenly looked at her with shock. "Vanima?" He had been monitoring her emotions, expecting last minute doubts and fears. "Please! We have talked about this!"

"I know," she told him. "I am sorry! I won't... I won't change my mind. I promise!"

Legolas walked to her and gave her a comforting kiss. "I will make it up to you, I swear on my mother's grave! You will never regret your choice."

"Go now!" she told him, caressing his hairless cheek. "Go make sure it is safe and I will meet you on the other side!"

He took his bow and nocked an arrow, a serious look on his face. He looked at them all one last time, his family, the people who were sacrificing so much to join him in his dangerous world. Only a few more minutes, and they would be reunited in Middle Earth. He turned around and slowly entered the portal, arrow first.

The family gathered in front of the portal, waiting for some signal from Legolas. After less than a minute, they heard his voice through the portal, asking them to enter it, making sure that Valerie was last, closing the portal with the emerald around her neck.

Allison took Valerie's hand, her eyes going completely wild.

"You are coming with us!" Valerie told her. "Go now! It will work! Bring Phoebe with you, just to be sure!"

Allison grabbed Phoebe's little hand, and for more certainty, she also took Sean's hand. She walked to the portal while Valerie's children were looking at the portal with interest, not realizing how impossible this should all be for them. In a matter of seconds, the three of them were gone, leaving only Liam and Valerie in the clearing. Valerie sighed in relief. Until the last moment, she had feared that Allison would be left behind, grieving for her sister, her niece and nephews who had left without her. Without a doubt, she would have been accused of being responsible for their disappearance, and what proof would she have had of her innocence? But all was well, Allison was now safe in Middle Earth!

"Do you think I should go now?" Liam asked.

"Yes, go. I will follow you right away."

Liam hesitated in front of the translucent veil, and Valerie gently pushed him through it.

"Legolas?" she called, wondering why she was not hearing anything from the other side.

"Valerie? Wait, do not cross the portal..." Legolas' voice had a strange intonation. She had never heard him while he was scared, and she could definitively hear fear in his voice.

"What? Why? Legolas, what is going on?"

"I am not sure, please do not cross the portal!"

"Legolas! The portal is about to close! There is no way in hell that I will wait here while you and our family are on the other side, even if there is danger! Step aside! I am coming through!"

"No!"

But Valerie disregarded him. She crossed the portal, and was surprised to see that it was day in Middle Earth, with a high sun in a cloudless sky. There were many people gathered in a half-circle in front of the portal, leaving enough space for the family that had just arrived. She felt the portal close behind her in a flash. She saw Legolas, rushing in her direction, panic in his eyes, and her gaze fell on the bodies of her loved ones, lying on the grass in the middle of the elves. Their boxes and the piano were completely to her right, out of the circle. That was all she noted before she lost conscience.

OoOoO

King Thranduil had been displeased when two delegations arrived with Mithrandir, a few days before the day the wizard had promised to reopen the portal. He had expected Lord Celeborn and Lady Galadriel to follow the wizard, only because of their involvement in the proceeds six months before. But when Lord Elrond arrived with his three children and his captain no less, his annoyance reached unexpected levels. His kingdom was invaded by curious bystanders, and at the worse moment possible, since the orcs had been very active in the past few months. Thranduil had had to support Hadron, interim captain of their army since Legolas' departure, and the king had barely slept in the past six months. Bronadon, usually a reliable counselor, had been overwhelmed as a result of the king's lack of availability to discuss the various administrative matters, and many wrong decisions had been made. Had Thranduil not realized until then the importance of his only heir in the proper functioning of the realm, he had his proof now. And Bronadon's shortfalls as compared to his renowned father had also been highlighted. And his fellow elven lords were here, witnessing the debacle of Greenwood!

Thranduil barely contained his displeasure in front of his imposed guests, until the predetermined day finally arrived. The king had been longing for that day since he had last seen his son six months before. Every single hour, Thranduil had thought about Legolas, wondering if he was alive, if he was safe, if he had met that woman... Would the prince be there when Mithrandir reopened the portal? Was the last image he had of his son, Legolas giving him one last look before crossing the portal, the last one he would have of his son alive? He would get his answer soon. For now, Thranduil was standing in front of the portal Mithrandir had just created. Hadron and Bronadon were surrounding him, while the rulers of Lothlorien were to his left, with their ever present Marchwarden. To his right were Lord Elrond, his stunning daughter and his twin sons. Glorfindel looked out of place between these dark haired elves.

Mithrandir finished whispering the words of the incantation, and the same watery vertical appeared in front of them. And then... nothing happened.

"What is going on? Where is my son?" the king asked to the wizard.

"He is not there yet. The portal has not been activated on the other side."

"How long will it stay open?"

"As long as it takes, your Majesty," replied Mithrandir.

The elves waited in silence for ten minutes before they felt a shift in the veil in front of them.

"Here they are," murmured Lady Galadriel with satisfaction.

"How do you know Legolas is not alone?" Elrohir asked his grandmother.

"Because I gave the emerald to Valerie months ago. And the portal was activated by the jewel. She is with him," she replied with assurance.

Thranduil was surprised to see he did not care about this. As long as his son came back home, he was ready to accept the arrival of this mortal in his realm. He just hoped she was a sweet little mortal, calm and good-natured, and who would preferably stay out of his way.

They heard voices speaking in a strange language, and suddenly a massive wooden box was pushed through the portal, with white and black little pieces in the front. The wooden box was quickly followed by many smaller boxes, and Hadron asked a few of his warriors to help him get these boxes out of the way. The middle of the circle was clear again when Legolas crossed the portal, bow ready to strike. He looked at everyone, assessing if anyone in front of him represented danger. He seemed surprised to see all the elven lords and ladies in front of him, and displeased to see the Marchwarden in the group. But he put his bow down and smiled to his father while calling for someone in the same strange language.

A woman followed Legolas through the portal, holding the hand of two small human children. The woman was tall with long, brown hair while the children, a boy and a younger girl, had red hair that shined under the sun. They were wearing strange clothes, even for mortal, considering that the woman and the girl were wearing pants like men would.

Thranduil was very surprised to see that Legolas had not only brought the woman, but children too. He had been sure that Legolas would arrive alone or with the woman. Not bring the entire family here. It was adding a lot of complexity to their future. Displeased, he studied the woman that would be his son's mate. She was not ugly for a mortal, but she had nothing special that would have caught the eyes of Legolas, who usually liked ellith that were stunning. Legolas briefly spoke with the little girl, until both children started showing signs of dizziness. They both fell to the ground, still holding the hands of the woman, who herself seemed quite ill. She fell to her knees, and Legolas caught her before she fell on the grass, unconscious too.

His son looked at the three mortals, on his knees, stunned, when another male child crossed the portal. Another red head, older than the others, who got scared when he saw the bodies of the woman and the children on the grass. He tried to turn around and go back through the portal, but fell unconscious before he had time to do so. Legolas crawled to the child and checked his pulse. He seemed relieved to find one, but still scared about what was happening.

In the circle, people started to want to go to their help, especially Lord Elrond and Lady Galadriel, who both were healers. But they stopped when they heard Legolas urgently speak to another person who was still on the other side of the portal. Thranduil, bewildered, understood that his son was begging the person to stay behind. A female voice answered him, angry and scared at the same time. And seconds later, another woman crossed the portal, which immediately closed behind her. At least the invasion of mortals was over, Thranduil thought with sarcasm. Legolas better have a good explanation for this! Not only had he brought his future mate, but three children and another woman. What was he trying to do?

The second woman was obviously the mother of the children, with her red hair and beautiful green eyes. This one had a strange beauty, a look that no one could forget. She looked at everyone around her, and Legolas stood in a hurry and ran to her, catching her just before she also fell unconscious. He gently put her body on the grass, hovering protectively over her while checking her pulse.

The closing of the portal put everyone into action. All the elves came closer to help, triggering a defensive reaction from Legolas. He took his bow and aimed it at the people in front of him.

"Stay back!" he spat angrily. All the elves froze under his threat.

Thranduil had never seen his son react this way. He had this possessive look in his face, as if someone was trying to steal his most important treasure and that he was ready to fight to death to protect it.

"Do not come near them," the prince commanded, and everyone took a few steps back, going back to their original positions in the half-circle. Once he was sure that no one would move, Legolas dropped his bow and put a hand on the stomach of the red-haired woman. He closed his eyes and seemed to concentrate, and many elves in the circle, including Thranduil, Elrond and Galadriel, noticed that the woman's stomach was rather big for the rest of her weight. But the king also noticed for the first time that his son was wearing a ring, and that the red-haired woman was wearing a similar one. The brunette woman did not wear a ring.

"They mated already, and she is pregnant with the scholar!" Arwen said with a dreamy voice.

"Is your mate alright?" Lord Elrond asked to Legolas, taking one step closer.

"I... I do not know what is wrong with them..." Legolas said, looking around for an answer.

Elrond took another step, and Legolas' bow was back in his hands, aiming at the lord of Imladris. Immediately, his sons and Glorfindel had their own bows aimed at Legolas. A second later, all the Greenwood warriors had their bows up in hand, aiming at anyone that was not a Greenwood native. The Marchwarden moved in front of his lady, protecting her with his body.

"Hold your arrows!" Galadriel said in a loud and determined voice, pushing Haldir out of her way. "Elladan! Elrohir! Drop your bows. Now!"

The twin sons of Elrond hesitated for a few seconds, before putting their bows down. Glorfindel did the same, and at a sign from Thranduil, the Greenwood warriors dropped their bows also. Only Legolas was still aiming his arrow at Elrond.

"Legolas," he told the prince. "Be reasonable. We can help you. We will not hurt... your family."

Thranduil winced at the words, but Legolas seemed to respond well to them. He kept his arrow nocked, but his face lost his angry look.

_He really does think of them as his family_, the king realized.

"Let us take a look at them," Galadriel pleaded. "We can help you. I think I know why they are ill."

"Why?" Legolas asked.

"I do not want to give you false hopes, my Prince. Let us examine them, and we will let you know."

"Fine," Legolas said, finally dropping his bow. "But... only you and Lord Elrond," he said, looking around, forcing everyone to get back once again to their original places.

The lord of Imladris and the Lady of Light walked closer, and Galadriel touched the forehead of the little girl. She looked so small! It had been a long time since Galadriel had been in contact with such a small child.

"She is your mate?" Elrond asked to Legolas as he kneeled beside Valerie. Legolas nodded while the lord put his hand on Valerie's forehead. He removed it immediately and looked at his mother-in-law, who also had removed her hand from the girl's forehead. Galadriel quickly put her hand on the foreheads of the others while Elrond was looking at Valerie's pregnancy bump.

"How far along is she?" he asked Legolas.

"16 weeks," Legolas replied with assurance. He had been tracking very closely Valerie's progress. "What is going on with them?" he asked Galadriel who was now done with her examination and who was kneeling beside them. The Lady of Light was eagerly looking at Valerie, a smile on her lips.

"She is just as I had seen her," she mumbled. Galadriel extended her hand to touch Valerie's stomach when she was stopped by Legolas' hand around her wrist. Immediately, Lord Celeborn and Haldir cried out in anger and moved closer.

"You move and you will be in trouble," Thranduil said with a cold voice to the Lothlorien people. Even if he was greatly displeased with his son, it was obvious that Legolas didn't want anyone around his family or touching them. Why couldn't these annoying guests understand this?

"Alright," Galadriel said, "I promise not to touch her. Let go of my hand."

Legolas released her wrist, and looked at Elrond. "Tell me what is wrong with them!"

"I believe they are going through the process of becoming half-elven. They are in a deep sleep, and I could feel the start of the elven flame in your mate's fëa."

"It is the same with the rest of your family," Galadriel confirmed. "I felt the same thing."

"What about Allison?" he asked, pointing at his sister-in-law.

"Even her," Galadriel confirmed.

"Who is she?" Elrond asked.

"Valerie's sister," Legolas replied.

"She is here early!" the lord of Imladris said to Galadriel.

"Yes. It was a possibility, but a remote one. Anyhow, that means she was ready."

Legolas did not understand this cryptic conversation, but asked the question that was most important to him.

"How long will they stay unconscious?"

"I am not sure. It could be minutes, hours or days. We never had any other cases of the Valar allowing mortals to become immortal in such a way. But their elven flame is... weak at the most, so we are only at the beginning of the process."

Legolas looked around at all his family, obviously relieved. "We need... we need to carry them inside then," he realized. And unless he was ready to leave them out of his sight while he carried them one by one to the healing chambers, he would need help.

"Marchwarden?" Lady Galadriel asked. "Please help the prince -"

"No!" Legolas said with a commanding voice. "Marchwarden, stay where you belong. Away from _my_ family."

Everyone understood that Legolas would not tolerate the other possible champion to be close to his family. Such protectiveness was normal for a newly mated ellon, and it was exacerbated by the fact that the beautiful woman lying on the grass could also have been the mate of the infamous Haldir. But Legolas had been the one to accept the challenge, and Haldir would have to step away and watch the prophecy happen as a silent witness. No other role would be allowed by the crowned prince of Greenwood.

Legolas challenged the Marchwarden with his eyes until Haldir walked back to the circle. He then looked around, carefully choosing the help he required.

"Hadron? Can you please take my son Liam?" The warrior bowed to his captain and childhood friend, and approached the family, hesitating between the oldest son and the youngest. "This is Liam," Legolas announced to the people around, pointing at the oldest child. Hadron picked up the boy, evaluating his age to be between ten and fifteen years old. It had been a while since he had seen a mortal child so close, and was amazed at how light he was.

Legolas looked around, knowing protocol did not allow him to ask his father, Lord Elrond or Lord Celeborn for help.

"Lord Elladan and Lord Elrohir, would you please carry my other children?" The sons of Elrond each came in the circle, Elladan taking Phoebe and Elrohir lifting Sean from the ground with ease. They too, were surprised by how light these young elflings were.

"Lord Glorfindel, can I please ask you to take my sister-in-law Allison?"

Glorfindel bowed to the prince and picked up the woman he had been longingly gazing at. Since the tall brunette had crossed the portal and their eyes had met, Glorfindel had been barely able to look elsewhere. The woman was pretty, and although he had to admit had less stunning looks when compared to her red-haired sister, he had been immediately attracted to her. He had read immense relief in her eyes before she had fallen to the ground, and had wondered why. Was her arrival to Middle Earth a much hoped for outcome? His own relief had appeared once he had understood that this was not the woman of the prophecy, the one they had all been waiting for. She was not Prince Legolas' mate. Whatever the reason for her presence in Middle Earth, if she was not already attached to a man, he would definitely try to approach her the next time he saw her, and woo her with determination. If and when Prince Legolas allowed him to be close to his family... He looked at the Lothlorien Marchwarden who was fuming near Lord Celeborn. At least, he had not been a possible champion of the prophecy, and therefore had more chances of being allowed around the royal family of Greenwood. It seemed that Haldir would not benefit from the same privilege.

Legolas tenderly lifted Valerie from the ground once he saw all his family was taken care of. He made sure her head was comfortably leaning against his neck, and held her close against his chest, in a possessive movement that every ellon around clearly identified as the prince marking his territory. He walked to his father who was still standing with the other elves and gracefully bowed to him despite his charge.

"It is a pleasure to see you again, Father," he said with respectful words, but everyone could see that father and son were eager to be alone to discuss freely. "If you would please allow us to go the healing rooms and follow us there, I would appreciate spending time in private with you. I have many things to share with you about my journey."

Thranduil examined the woman that was in Legolas' arms. Analyzing her traits and her clothing, her long, wavy, incredibly colorful hair, her flawless skin, her beautiful hands... He understood why and how enthralled his son had become by the mortal that was slowly becoming half-elven under his very eyes.

"Yes, my son. We have much to talk about. Let us take care of your family, and then we can talk... alone."

Legolas took the lead with his father, every elf having the honor of carrying a new royal family member following them closely. Elrond and Galadriel, as healers, followed the group. Everyone else stayed outside, some to carry the boxes in the royal aisle of the fortress, some to simply comment on the events that had taken place in front of them. The arrival of so many people had been unexpected, and would provide gossips for all elven realms for years to come!

While carrying the female elfling to the healing chambers, Elladan could not help himself and studied her features with awe. What a beautiful little creature! She had entered the portal with a confident smile, almost pulling her aunt with her. Her smile had illuminated her small face while her green eyes were quickly looking around with curiosity... and her hair! Long and curly in a high ponytail, it had shined under the sunlight, catching his eyes immediately. He looked at her little nose, her pink lips, her perfect eyebrows, her long eyelashes...

Beside him, his brother coughed to get his attention. "What are you doing, brother?" Elrohir whispered.

Elladan just looked at Elrohir for a time, and deciding not to spare another second on his now unimportant twin brother, went back to watch in awe the features of this wonderful girl. Somehow, he knew his destiny was linked to hers. Her appearance in the portal had entirely shifted his priorities, in a sudden and irreversible manner. He put her head more comfortably against his shoulder, holding her closer in a manner that could only look possessive to the others around him.

"Elladan!" he heard his father whisper. The ellon looked up from his contemplation, seeing his brother standing beside his sire. The others he had been following had already entered the healing chambers, and he had been trailing behind, slowly walking with the precious charge he had been observing. "Elladan! Do no bring any attention to yourself! Bring the child to Prince Legolas immediately!"

"But -"

"We will discuss this later! Bring her now!" Elrond insisted.

At the end of the hallway, the prince was coming out of the healing chambers, looking for his two youngest children, wondering why Lord Elrond and his sons were not bringing Phoebe and Sean to the healing rooms. Elrohir hurried in his direction, carrying Sean while Elladan walked slowly behind him, trying to have as much time as possible with the girl. Lord Elrond was following him, discreetly pushing his son in the back to make him walk faster. The lord had a general idea about what was happening to his older son, and could not believe that it would happen at such a time. But if his assumption was right, Elladan would simply be incapable of giving up the child once he arrived at his destination. To make matters worse, he had noticed the way Glorfindel had been watching the brunette woman, and could not believe his captain would show such lack of restraint unless he had found his fëa-mate in her! Elrond sighed, knowing the next few days would be full of tension in the fortress of Greenwood. There never had been any warmth in the relationship between Imladris and Greenwood, and that did not bode well for these two ellyn he deeply cared about. He discreetly kept pushing his oldest son until he arrived at the end of the hallway.

When Elladan arrived in front of Legolas, the prince took the girl from his arms, cradling her against his chest and whispered tender words to her. Elladan felt an emptiness he had never felt before in his chest, his heart heavy with sorrow, and he barely stopped the angry groan from passing his lips when he saw the prince give her a kiss. He entered the room behind Legolas, still followed by his father. He watched anxiously as the prince put the girl in a nearby bed and went to stand by the bed where is mate was lying.

"I am most grateful for your help," the prince said to them all. "Now, I would like to have the healers examine them. I am concerned about their state, and your understanding would be appreciated."

Clearly but politely dismissed, Hadron, Glorfindel and Elrohir immediately left the room. Legolas looked pointedly at Elladan, expecting him to leave also. Even if the twins were healers, only the king, the Greenwood healers, Elrond and Galadriel would be allowed in this room. Elladan panicked. He could not be separated from the girl! He looked at his father, expecting his support in his ordeal, but Elrond shook his head, silently asking him to leave the room immediately before a diplomatic incident took place. Already, Prince Legolas was frowning and the Elvenking was lifting a sarcastic eyebrow at Elrond.

Only his strict education under the guidance of his father, Glorfindel and the scholar Erestor made Elladan bow to hide his extreme disappointment. But before he left, he turned around and asked Prince Legolas what was the name of his new daughter. He needed something to connect her to him, anything that would help him stand the long wait he would have to endure until he saw her again. Legolas distractedly said _Phoebe_ before turning his attention back to his mate, who was under the expert care of Lady Galadriel.

Elladan left the room, pronouncing the strange but melodic name many times, repeating it in various tones to get used to its sonority. He did not see coming the slap behind the head his brother served him while he passed an alcove. "You are a complete moron! Please tell me what is wrong with you? Have you lost your mind?" Elrohir spat angrily at his older twin brother. "You certainly did not miss how the prince is protecting them from the Marchwarden! Do you want us all banned from this realm, forced to leave by dawn tomorrow?"

"Elrohir!" Elladan replied dreamily. "She is the one..."

"The one what?"

"She is my fëa-mate... Phoebe is her name. Do you not think it suits her beautifully?"

Elrohir only answered with a few well-chosen and colorful profanities. He pulled his brother with him in the hallway, walking back to the other end of the fortress where the guest aisle was located. He brought Elladan to the door of the chamber where Glorfindel was lodging. In the absence of their father, the captain of their guard would be the best ellon to make his brother see the insane and dangerous nature of his last statement.

"I hope that Glorfindel will be able to knock some sense into your head! Your fëa-mate! Of all the ludicrous things you have said and done since our birth..." he mumbled, knocking and not waiting for an answer before entering Glorfindel's bedchamber. The captain was sitting in a chair, drinking red wine while watching the high flames in the hearth. Although it was summer in Greenwood, the caves were always damp and fires were burning in many rooms to fight this cold humidity.

"Glorfindel! I desperately need your help! My brother is convinced that he found his fëa-mate today!"

The ellon slowly turned his head in their direction, an odd look on his face. "Who is it?" he asked in an inquisitive tone that told Elrohir there was indeed a right and a wrong answer to this question, without knowing which one was which.

There was no time to analyze Glorfindel's strange behavior. "The little girl that is now the prince's daughter!" Elrohir said, expecting the captain to take his side and chide his brother for such folly.

"Ah," Glorfindel simply said, turning his head back to watch the fire again. He took a sip of his wine, completely disregarding the brothers who were staring at him.

"Is that all you are going to say? I must admit I was expecting more of your usual wisdom! By the Valar, I suddenly wish Erestor was here!" Elrohir commented, wondering if he had imagined the relief that had quickly disappeared from Glorfindel's features when he had heard the identity of Elladan's potential fëa-mate.

"Yes, Elrohir, I do not have any counsel to give you or your brother. Just know that nothing can be done about these matters. If your brother found his fëa-mate, you should be glad for him. This is a development that should be celebrated, not condemned or criticized. For elven kind, the finding of your mate is such a blessing, especially when you have been waiting for your half for many centuries or even millennia..."

"But she is just an elfling! He did not even speak to her! How could he know?"

"His fëa would have recognized hers, even if she had been an infant, born from her mother but a few minutes before. Your brother will have the blessing of seeing his mate grow up and be part of her upbringing... This is not a chance I was offered, unfortunately, for I would have liked to be blessed in such a way, but I am just happy to have found her nevertheless."

Elrohir frowned. "But Glorfindel... You never told me you had met your mate! When did that happen? Why did you kept that information from us for all these centuries? Are we not like family to you?"

"Now you are the ultimate moron, brother!" Elladan said, sitting heavily beside Glorfindel, serving himself a glass of red wine from the carafe on the table. "He just met her. Today. Just like I did."

"Not the girl too?" Elrohir asked, absolutely bewildered. Could things get worse than this?

The captain of Imladris chuckled while Elladan groaned. "Tell me this idiot was adopted," Elladan prayed Glorfindel.

"Allison is my mate," Glorfindel said, looking at Elrohir with something akin to dismay.

"The brown-haired one?" Elrohir asked. How was that possible? The mate that Legolas had chosen was very attractive, and her daughter promised to be as beautiful as her mother. But the sister? He had barely spared a glance at her, since she had not raised his interest at all. She was just a pretty mortal like Middle Earth had in thousands.

Glorfindel glared at him, defying him to say anything negative about the woman. Elrohir kept his comments to himself, knowing his captain must find something attractive in the mortal, even if he personally did not.

Seeing that he would not get anywhere with the two love-struck ellyn, he decided to seek help elsewhere while his father was taking care of the prince's family. "I will go speak to Mithrandir. He will know what to do with you two!"

Elrohir looked for the wizard in the palace, only to find him with his grandfather near the location of the portal in the front yard, touching the big wooden box that had appeared first in the portal.

"What is it?" he asked them.

"It seems this is a musical instrument," Celeborn answered. And the ellon proceeded to touch the white and black keys, making sounds that were quite strange to their ears but delightful nevertheless. "One of them must be a minstrel. Playing this instrument has to be a complicated deed."

Elrohir looked around, making sure that no one would hear what he would say next. "Both Elladan and Glorfindel are convinced that they have met their fëa-mates today."

Mithrandir and Celeborn smiled to each other. "Your wife was right again," the wizard said to the Lothlorien lord.

"My mate is never wrong, and you would know it if you had been bonded to her for millennia," Celeborn laughed. "This mirror of hers has been faultless for millennia!"

"You will not do anything about it?" Elrohir asked.

"And what would you have us do?"Mithrandir asked. "Nothing is to be done, Elrohir. This is their destiny. They finally found their other half. You should be glad for them, instead of trying to undo what cannot be undone now. It is too late, their link has awaken, at least in Elladan and Glorfindel. It should not take long before the ellith start feeling it too..."

"Your turn will come!" Celeborn teased, knowing his youngest grandson deeply cherish his single life, using his freedom to collect a swarm of conquests in all realms of Middle Earth, both elven and human. He probably rued the fact that the days where Elladan would share this interest were over for the rest of their lives.

"You are mistaken, Grandfather, I do not envy them! Far from me is the longing for an attachment that would reduce my freedom and my independence. But strangely, I could feel that Glorfindel envies Elladan. I could not understand why."

"And why would Glorfindel envy your brother?"

"He declared that my brother would see his fëa-mate grow and be present during her childhood. Why would being stuck with a youngling be a blessing?"

"It seems that Glorfindel does not realize how a mixed blessing it really will be. Elladan will love the child as a friend first, as there cannot be physical intimacy with her at the moment. But one day, somewhere around her 40th birthday, she will become mature and beautiful but will still be considered a child. He will want to... be with her physically, and he will have to wait until her 50th anniversary once the elfling becomes of age... It will be a long wait... While Glorfindel, on the other hand, will only have to seduce his fëa-mate and she will be available for binding immediately, should he successfully woo her..."

"She is not even beautiful!" Elrohir exclaimed with incredulity.

"She is beautiful for a mortal, you must admit," Celeborn told his grandson sternly.

"Surely she is, but when compared to any elleth..."

"He will love her nevertheless. I am counting on you to never say such things in front of anyone again. This must be the last time that such words cross your lips. Gossips could bring those comments to Glorfindel's ears, and he would be very unhappy with you." Celeborn seriously looked at his youngest grandson. He had been born a few minutes after Elladan, but the difference in maturity between the twins was astounding. Where Elladan was serious and responsible, Elrohir only thought of battles and pleasure. "Do you understand me?" he asked, asking for confirmation that Elrohir would never say another negative comment about the elleth Glorfindel would love deeply despite her mortal origins.

"Yes," Elrohir sighed. "If anyone is looking for me, I went for a ride."

"It is quite dangerous to ride around Greenwood alone," Mithrandir warned him.

"I almost wish I met with a band of orcs! I need to vent!" Elrohir replied carelessly.

The lord and the wizard watched him go. "Do you think he realizes what it means for his relationship with Elladan?" the wizard asked.

"No. He is just too shocked that Glorfindel would fall for a woman that is not flawless in his eyes. And the elfling is too young to be a threat to him yet. He does not realize that Elladan will want to spend more time in Greenwood than in Imladris from now on, or that he will no longer want to travel in Middle Earth on orc killing missions with him."

"Do you really think he will be allowed to spend time here until her majority? I doubt the Elvenking will tolerate his presence. After all, Imladris and Greenwood have always been at odds, since the death of King Oropher and King Ereinion Gil-galad."

"Then let us hope that Prince Legolas and his mate will have mercy..."

* * *

I am quite glad to present the couple Phoebe-Elladan, although many years will come to pass before it becomes a passionate relationship! I thought about Allison for a long time, and quite frankly, I could only picture her with Glorfindel. But their destiny will be different, since she is arriving in Middle Earth at the same time than Valerie instead of 10 years later.

Thank you to all the readers who keep following this story and send me their comments after each chapter. Your ideas are great – and I do sometimes changes a few things in my future chapters because one of you gave me an inspired idea!

Thank you especially to Morwen 80 and world-classgeek (you will know who the twins are in about 6 chapters), purpleXorchid (hope you slept in the last week!), kaydub, faye50free, Bubbles8231999 (you will know who Thranduil will react in the next chapter), Paperlanterns86 (did you really think I would leave Allison behind? ;-D), Fi, foofie01 (you are rereading the Haldir version?), Krystylsky and Kurandrobgirl (are you happy with the fact that Allison will be again with Glorfindel?).


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